Subiaco (Italy). On 25 April 2019, San Biagio Community of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Subiaco, hosted the third Interreligious Dialogue Day on the theme “Peace is Mission”, focused on peace formation as a means of promoting life and integration.
In addition to friends and acquaintances of the Community, representatives of the Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist religions participated.
After a brief presentation of the day by Sr. Vilma Colombo, Sr. Maria Pia Giudici intervened, recalling the importance of respect for Creation as a meeting point for different Religions and the importance of a simple and sober lifestyle, not weighed down by the race towards possessing more and more. A joint moment of prayer for peace was then held, during which prayers were said representing the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and African religions. At the beginning of each prayer for peace a small candle was lit.
Following this was the presentation of Fr. Giuliano Savina, Director of the National Office for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of CEI. The rich intervention of Fr. Giuliano highlighted the importance of “going towards oneself” in order to go towards the other; of listening and recognizing the other, with their differences, to be able to welcome them, and discover that in this welcome, it is possible to find oneself again. Fr. Giuliano pointed out that today in Europe the question of migrants re-proposes the theme of God. Europe must rediscover the Sacred Texts to re-establish its own conscience and orient itself in order to rediscover its own identity, to be able to dialogue and welcome the other. This was followed by a time of questions and reflections from the audience.
The lunch, characterized by a multi-ethnic cuisine that respected the traditions of different cultures, was offered by the Community of San Biagio
In the afternoon, space was given to interventions by representatives of other religions. In particular, the Muslim representative Professor Salameh Ashour, President of the Palestinian community of Rome and Lazio, son of Palestine, a land that for over fifty years has been a battlefield, illustrated his thoughts and his land. He recalled how love is the common point between the different religions and recalled the gestures of love and solidarity of the Muslim community.
The Buddhist representative Professor Lustrissimi Gianfranco, President of the Italian Buddhist Union, recalled the importance of the human journey towards enlightenment. Interventions by the public emphasized the role of meditation as a way to reach God that is found in all religions.
Finally, there was the testimony of a mixed couple, Barbara Reale and Marco Calò, Jewish-Christian, who lives their own interreligious dialogue starting from love, from listening, from respect for differences, and from the study of the culture and religion of the other.
The day was enlivened by the music and songs of the “Naples Free Song Company”. It was an enriching day. We realized that what unites is much more than what divides, because the identity of men and women is fundamental.
In the Bible, God is encountered many times as infinite Love. The same reality is met in other Sacred Books of the different Religions. It is in the saving light of this conviction that we find ourselves together, in full respect for every religious expression and also for those who are searching.
