|
|
|
|
|
Home > National > Article
|
Go back |
|
Call to action over Interfaith dialogue
|
Printable version |
| By DAMIR GOVORCIN
12 June, 2005 |
 |
| CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM: Cardinal Pell with Sheik Femi Naji El-Imam, Mufti of Victoria (centre) and Rabbi John Levi, vice-president of the executive council of Australian Jewry. |
|
|
THE Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, has called on Christians, Jews and Muslims to work together in the areas of social justice, family, education, morality and welfare.
Cardinal Pell told a conference on religious unity in Sydney that a country like Australia “offers many blessings to those who believe in God, including respect for truth, for human family and dignity, for religious freedom, and a commitment to just, non-violent political structures”.
“We have to work together to protect these good things, and to ensure that we continue to enjoy them despite hostile pressures that can arise both from within our society, and from outside,” he told the 4th International Inter-Religious Abraham Conference at Sydney University.
“While this will mean working together on issues touching on morality, it should also mean that we work together in the areas of social justice, education and welfare.
“With all Australians, we have an interest in preserving and strengthening the conditions that ensure peace, harmony, stability and prosperity in our democracy, with our now traditional separation of Church and state or more accurately religion and government.”
More than 200 people attended the conference last Sunday. It included exploration panels, workshops and interactive discussion forums, with the main conference panel comprising Cardinal Pell, Rabbi John Levi, vice-president executive council of Australian Jewry, and Sheik Femi Naji El-Imam, Mufti of Victoria.
The keynote speaker was Rev Dr Francis Tiso, associate director, Secretariat for Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs, US Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
The conference theme was “Beyond Dialogue to Inter-faith in action”.
In his address, Cardinal Pell said Muslims, Christians and Jews “share common commitments which are embodied socially and which we can join together in proposing and defending to the wider society”.
“We all believe in the value of educating our children in our faiths,” he said.
“There is clearly opportunity for us to work together to defend faith-based education in Australia, to co-operate with the state systems of education and show how our schools contribute to the health, diversity and harmony of Australian life.
“We share in common a duty to care for the poor and the marginalised. We believe in commerce and in just relations between employers and workers.
“We believe in the importance of families having the opportunity to buy their own homes.”
Cardinal Pell said of particular concern to all Christians, Jews and Muslims is the family. “People are foolish if they pretend that the consequences of family breakdown have no social impact,” he said.
“One of the great cleavages that we are beginning to see opening up in our society is between children who come from stable and loving families, and those who do not.
“Those who are lost to drugs, suicide, violence, and alcoholism, are often those who do not have the personal and family resources and resilience to resist or avoid these perils. “Family breakdown and instability are a growing cause of impoverishment.”
He added: “Loving faithful marriage is the true foundation of the family. I suspect that the haves and have-nots of the future will often be divided into those who have had a loving family upbringing and those who have never had this opportunity.
“The children of Abraham should take the lead in ensuring a better future not only for children and families, but also for our country. With our secular brothers and sisters we can make a significant contribution to a better future for our nation of Australia.”
Rabbi Levi said that despite bridge-building between faiths, goodwill could easily be destroyed by religiously motivated violence.
He referred to the public backlash against the 20-year sentence for drug smuggling against Schapelle Corby in Bali.
“The public anger against the conviction of Schapelle Corby has caused inter-religious tension in Australia and Indonesia,” he said.
Sheik Fehmi told the conference that the Koran required Muslims to live peacefully with Christians and Jews and reject extremism.
“In spite of serious instances of abuse of various religions by some of their claimed followers, so as to justify or instigate acts of brutality and bloodshed, there are positive and common themes in these religions,” he said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
