SAKHIR, Bahrain — As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, Pope Francis joined Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders in calling on religions to work in combination for peace, saying at an interfaith summit Friday that faith should never be used to justify violence and that devout leaders will have to oppose the “childish” whims of the harsh wage war.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which sent an emissary to the conference, strongly supported the Kremlin in its war and justified it.
On his special day in the Arab kingdom on the Gulf of Bahrain, Francis closed a convention on the East-West discussion sponsored by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, then met with Muslim leaders at the Royal Mosque.
Sitting around him on the grounds of the Sakhir Royal Palace were prominent Muslim imams, the non-secular leaders of the world’s Orthodox Christians and American rabbis who have long been committed to interfaith dialogue.
As the world separates like two opposing seas, Francis said the mere presence of devout leaders in combination is evidence that “they intend to navigate the same waters, opting for the direction of encounter rather than confrontation. “
“It seems that we are witnessing a dramatic and childish scenario: on the lawn of humanity, to cultivate what surrounds us, we play with fire, missiles and bombs, cannons that bring pain and death, covering our not unusual house with ash and hatred. He said.
Hamad called for a constant effort to prevent Russia’s war in Ukraine and announce peace negotiations, “for the good of all mankind. “
Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning in Cairo, joined Francis in Bahrain. other people who have nothing to do with this violent tragedy. “
Al-Tayeb also called on Sunni and Shia Muslims to interact in a similar discussion process to try to heal their centuries of division, adding that Al-Azhar could host such a meeting.
“Let’s expel together all hate speech, provocation and excommunication and separate the old and fashionable conflicts throughout their bureaucracy and with all their negative ramifications,” he said.
Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni monarchy that has been accused by human rights teams of systematically discriminating against opponents of its Shiite majority, fees the government rejects.
Later Friday, al-Tayeb met privately with Francis, who thanked him for his openness to Shiites.
“Today you were very courageous when you spoke of the discussion within Islam,” the pope said.
Both presided over an assembly at the Royal Mosque between the Vatican delegation and the Council of Muslim Elders. Vatican and Muslim speakers cited environmental fears and climate change as a major fear for humanity.
To the assembled imams, Francis insisted that “the God of peace provokes war, incites hatred, supports violence. “
Francis also took his discussion message to Bahrain’s Christian leaders by presiding over an ecumenical assembly and praying for peace at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, the largest Catholic church in the Gulf.
Francis opened his stop in Bahrain by urging the Bahraini government on Thursday to renounce the death penalty and guarantee the fundamental human rights of all citizens. It’s a nod to Bahrain’s Shiite dissidents who say they have been harassed and detained, some stripped of their citizenship or sentenced. to death for his political activities. The government denies any discrimination against Shiites.
Francis raised the citizenship factor in his remarks Friday, albeit in general terms, stressing the need for countries to “identify in our societies the concept of full citizenship” and reject terms such as minorities.
Francis, however, also pointed out that Bahrain is home to several Christian communities as a small Jewish community.
In his prepared remarks, U. S. Rabbi Marc Schneier, Hamad’s special adviser on interfaith issues, praised Bahrain as a “model in the Arab world for the coexistence and tolerance of other communities. “
During the pope’s visit, activists shared a video of a protest Friday south of Bahrain’s capital, Manama, ahead of the island’s parliamentary elections. Protesters carried banners calling on the public to boycott the vote. Protesters