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March 19, 202219 March 2022 (Dubai).
Today at 10.30 am, Expo 2020 witnessed the celebration of the National Day of the Holy See in the presence of His Eminence Pietro Cardinal Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness Pope Francis.
His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State for Tolerance, welcomed the gathering, which consisted of several key dignitaries, including the Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, His Excellency Bishop Paul Hinder, the Head of the Science and Faith Department of the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Deputy Commissioner General of the Holy See Pavilion, Msgr. Tomasz Trafny, the Charge D'Affairs of the Apostolic Nunciature in the UAE, Msgr. Kryspin Dubiel and several other Emirati and foreign officials and delegates. The gathering was also attended by a large gathering of catholics from the parishes of the United Arab Emirates.
Below is the text of the Cardinal's address given on the occasion:
Your Highness, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,
I extend cordial greetings to the present authorities, to the organizers of Expo 2020 Dubai, and to all the guests at this event, especially the distinguished Ambassadors and General Commissioners of the various countries who are with us today. I also express my thanks to Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi for having taken on the responsibility of General Commissioner of the Holy See at the Dubai Expo. On the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United Arab Emirates, on behalf of His Holiness Pope Francis, and on my own behalf, I convey every good wish and the hope that the Emirati people, and all who live and work here, will be blessed with prosperity and peace.
I still have vivid memories of the historic Apostolic Visit of Pope Francis in February 2019, and of the warm welcome and hospitality we experienced on that occasion. It was with joy, therefore, that I accepted the invitation to participate in this symbolic National Day of the Holy See at Expo 2020 in Dubai. Although the visit of this Delegation is foreseen by the Expo regulations, my presence here is not intended to be a mere fulfilment of the obligation to which each Country is bound while participating in the Universal Expo, but, even more so, is a tangible sign of the Holy See’s esteem for the United Arab Emirates. I am here to bear witness to the many ties that have been created between us. Though apparently distant, we are in reality moving ever closer due to the values that we both recognise as key points of reference.
There is no doubt that our cultural roots, religious beliefs, territorial size and histories are quite different. Yet, we have chosen to know each other better, to appreciate each other, and are committed to looking for convergences that can contribute to the peace of the international community.For this very reason, fifteen years ago, diplomatic relations were established between the Holy See and the United Arab Emirates. These have now reacheda new phase with the recent opening of the Apostolic Nunciature in Abu Dhabi.
Allow me to elaborate on some of the values that we share, beginning with our presence at the Expo in Dubai, which is essentially symbolic and cultural, with no commercial purpose. Here I would emphasise thoseparticularly high and perennial values that correspond to the deepest longings and needs of the human heart.
One of these is the ideal of peaceful coexistence between different Nations, cultures and religions. The Holy See is firmly committed to promoting this on a socio-cultural, educational, diplomatic and religious level, so that concord and harmony can be truly realized for all the members of our human family. This need for peace is especially felt in the context of multiple conflicts in various parts of the world. In particular, how can we forget the tragedy of the war in Ukraine, which has caused [is still causing] so much death, destruction and misery!
In light of this ideal of peaceful coexistence, a particularly valuable contribution was made by the Year of Tolerance celebrated in 2019 – through the initiative of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates. The aim of this Year was to consolidate the values of “tolerance, dialogue, coexistence and openness to different cultures, particularly among young people”. This far-sighted initiative, promoted at various levels – community, educational, cultural, legislative, media – can become a model for other Nations too.
Prior to the proclamation of the Year of Tolerance, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan made the highly valued symbolic gesture of changing the name of the mosque at Al Mushrif, dedicating it to Mary, Mother of Jesus (Mariam, Umm Eisa). This was a sign of extraordinary openness and generosity towards Christian communities and, at the same time, an indication of the spirit of dialogue that unites us.
Indeed, all peaceful coexistence is preceded by – and founded upon – the commitment to sharing. This is impossible without a basic attitude of dialogue. Religions and their institutions can and must assume the mission of being catalysts in the vital process of raising awareness and forming consciences. In this way, there will be a strong desire, in the hearts of believers, for encounter, mutual understanding and dialogue leafing to a beneficial exchange of knowledge and of human, cultural and religious values.
Our Pavilion recalls this fruitful capacity for dialogue, encounter and friendship through two historical events and the personalities involved in them. On the one hand, there are the figures of Saint Francis of Assisi and the Sultan of Egypt al-Malik al-Kāmil, who in 1219 set aside their differences to enter into dialogue, marking a new opening between our cultures and religions. On the other hand, we recall the meeting between Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmad el-Tayeb, who on 4 February 2019, in this very land, in Abu Dhabi, signed the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. This was a prophetic call, inviting all people to commit themselves to a dialogue that goes beyond mere tolerance, to a dialogue that establishes sentiments and relationships of mutual respect and true fraternity, animated by a firm rejection of any form of enmity and political or religious extremism.
We see clearly the fruits of this call in the establishment of the HigherCommittee of Human Fraternity, chaired by Cardinal Miguel Angel AyusoGuixot, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and in the initiative to build the “Abrahamic Family House” as an expression of the constant quest for the fraternal dimension that unites us. Moreover, there was the establishment of the International Day of Human Fraternity through the work of the United Nations General Assembly on 21 December 2020, not to mention countless initiatives promoted by various bodies with the active participation of the same Higher Committee of Human Fraternity and the Ministry of Tolerance of the United Arab Emirates.
Finally, among the values that can enable the most significant convergence, I would mention the focus on education. Indeed, we are unitedby an awareness of the social and cultural power of education, from childhood to the highest academic levels. The innate desire for knowledge directs us towards the search for the good, the beautiful, the true, stimulating us to understand ourselves and the reality around us more and more. This yearning also raises us towards the transcendent. The pathway of education involves the whole human person in a broad intellectual, spiritual and ethical endeavour, so as to ensure the integral development of individuals and of society as a whole. We can see many examples of this appreciation of the importance of education going beyond United Arab Emirates territory and its institutions. Among them, I would just mention one: the award of the Zayed Sustainability Prize in 2018 to the “Vladimir Nazor” School in the village of Škabrnja in Croatia.
I am particularly pleased to note that the UAE leadership’s focus on the search for educational convergence led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the UAE Ministry of Education and the Congregation for Catholic Education, which promotes a series of projects and initiatives aimed at forming an educational alliance for the respect of human rights, commitment to the environment and the principle of solidarity. This is another sign of those shared values that bind us together and commit us to further cooperation.
I would like to conclude by noting that, significantly, the Holy See’s Day at Expo 2020 in Dubai coincides with the date of the beginning of Pope Francis’ pontificate in 2013. May his great sensitivity to dialogue and to building a society based on peace, equality and respect for human dignity and rights inspire all of us to build bridges for bringing people together, and to rediscover what makes us truly brothers and sisters.