peace and spirituality, religious communities united in common

As every year, the usual meeting between the religious confessions took place in the Municipality, in the presence of the mayor, the councilors and the municipal councilors. Bishop Gerardo Rocconi of the Catholic church of our city was present, the pastor of the Orthodox church Nicola Popa, the pastor of the Adventist Christian church Gionatan Brescia and the president of the Islamic cultural center El Miloudi El Anouar.

“There is no stronger message than the one sung by the angels in the cave of Bethlehem: glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to men”. recalls the representative of the Romanian church Nicholas Popa. And it was right peace the central theme of the meeting. A shared reflection, which has placed our time at the center, where war is the protagonist. The recent situation in Ukraine adds to all the wars in the world that have been causing pain for years. “The wars” – he adds – I am “Christmases that repeat themselves” because they force life to survive in the cold and in the dark, just like in the nativity scene that we set up every year in the nativity scenes of our homes.

I am “challenges that will never lead to any winner”, adds the Bishop Gerard Rocconi commenting on the message of Peace released a few days ago by Pope Francis. “THE damages are so many that there will never be any valid compensation“.

What is shared by the communities without any difference is a response to what is happening which takes the form of building a “sense of we”, of a cohesive community united in spirituality and solidarity. All sacred texts teach love and respect for each other. The Quran for example, “hands down to the Islamic faithful the duty to respect women, children, the most fragile and their neighbors, so as to build peace in the world“, remember El Miloudi El Anouar, of the Islamic cultural center Al-Huda.

Precepts common to every religion, which unite beyond differences. “ Spirituality and faith in a god create a We – he comments Jonathan Brescia – and only by leveraging on common points can we rediscover part of a whole”.

An idea of ​​peace and community that also guides those who work to ensure happiness for the civil community. “Spirituality also constitutes those who do politics”, recalls the mayor in this regard Lorenzo Fiordelmondo. “I believe that spirit is one of the elements that unites everyone. Today we are overwhelmed by materialism which takes the form of war in its maximum expression, and spirituality is something very important for dealing with certain situations. From immateriality to build something together”. For this reason, this year in particular, the encounter between institutions and religious communities maintains its importance in the “common construction of a future of solidarity”.

Remembered the appointment of Friday 6 January for Peace Day. The appointment is at 11.00 in Piazza Pergolesi with the departure of a procession towards Piazza Federico II, where balloons with messages from school children will be sent flying.