The Pope released his message for the World Day of Peace today which celebrates the XLIV World Day of Peace. It’s a New Year message all peoples. The themes of the message are:
- the nature of religious freedom
- the right to religious freedom
- religious freedom is a duty of public authority
- religious freedom and the search for truth
- religious freedom and identity
- communal dimension of religious freedom
- religious freedom and dialogue
- religious freedom and the state
- religious freedom is motivated by solidarity and not reciprocity
- religious freedom and the missionary charge
Evangelization and the carrying out the missionary charge, then, do not contradict and oppose the sense of religious freedom. Rather evangelization stirs up the religious freedom of every person and drives it towards the truth that saves, in the hope that persons in their religious freedom would desire it and embrace it. In the embrace of the truth that saves, all religious freedom enjoys the peace that, on earth, is bestowed “on all on whom his favour rests”!
The papal text of “Religious Freedom, the Path to Peace“
Rome Reports covers the story
Cardinal Peter Turkson and Bishop Mario Taso’s presentation of the message
Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world. 200-300 million Christians face persecution yearly. 7 of out 10 can’t live in freedom with the faith. And about 150 thousand are killed for being Christian. The countries which are known to not respect Christians are: Myanmar (Burma), China, North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Eritrea.
