"Make me an instrument of your peace"

17 September 2019 (New York).

On the evening of 16th September, Bishop Paul Hinder, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia led the meditation during the Vigil of Prayer for the diplomatic community and personnel of the United Nations, who will lead the sessions of the 74th UN General Assembly, scheduled to take place from 17 September 2019 at the Assembly Headquarters in New York. 

The Prayer Service on the vigil of the opening of the Assembly is organised every year by the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations. This year, Bishop Paul was asked to lead the meditation during the vigil based on the "Document on Human Fraternity", signed in Abu Dhabi on 4 February by His Holiness Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Ahmed Al Tayeb. 

The prayer service was led by Archbishop Bernadito Auza, Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See Mission and included opening remarks by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres and President of the 74th General Assembly Session, Tijani Muhammad-Bande.

Various religious and ecumenical leaders of the New York area were also present at the prayer service. 

 

Below is the full text of the meditation of Bishop Paul: 

“MAKE ME AN INSTRUMENT OF YOUR PEACE”
 
TEXT OF MEDITATION BY BISHOP DR. PAUL HINDER DURING THE PRAYER SERVICE ON THE VIGIL OF THE OPENING OF THE 74TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
 
16 SEPTEMBER 2019
 
On 3 – 5 February 2019, something extraordinary happened in Abu Dhabi. For the first time in history a Roman Pontiff, head of the Catholic Church, entered the territory of the Arabian Peninsula. For the first time on public ground and with governmental assistance, a Mass was celebrated by Pope Francis. On the evening of 4 ^th February, Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, after visiting the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, signed “A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.” The embrace of the two religious authorities reminded me of an event that happened exactly 800 years ago in Egypt when Francis of Assisi together with another Friar Minor crossed the frontlines between Christian and Muslim armies to meet the Sultan Melek-el-Khamil. Both, Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis on one hand, and Sultan Melek-el-Khamil and Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, on the other hand, had to cross the real and ideological frontlines in order to meet the other and to arrive at mutual respect. Speaking about the relation between Catholics and those of non-Christian religions, the Second Vatican Council encourages “dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions” (Nostra Aetate, 2).

The Document on Human Fraternity wants to be – and here I quote:

“ an invitation to reconciliation and fraternity among all believers, indeed among believers and non-believers, and among all people of goodwill; this declaration may be an appeal to every upright conscience that rejects deplorable violence and blind extremism; an appeal to those who cherish the values of tolerance and fraternity that are promoted and encouraged by religions; this Declaration may be a witness to the greatness of faith in God that unites divided hearts and elevates the human soul; this Declaration may be a sign of the closeness between East and West, between North and South, and between all who believe that God has created us to understand one another, cooperate with one another and live as brothers and sisters who love one another.”

The Declaration speaks on behalf of the countless victims of violence and war; of those who are tortured and made to flee for the land of their birth; of all the innocent human beings that are killed; of the poor, the destitute, the marginalized and those who are most in need of help; of the victims of corruption and fundamentalism, people who hunger for peace and justice.

The reason for such an initiative which has sprung up between the two religious leaders is the understanding, that all of humanity is bound by a basic fraternity grounded in the God who has created us.  The Declaration is an appeal to all people of goodwill to put aside particular and egotistic interests, be they individual, national or continental, to break down the walls in our minds and to cross the borders in order to promote and build up justice and peace.

The Declaration points at certain urgent topics which can be addressed only, if religions are doing their duty properly and if the respective societies, their governments and the international community as a whole are working together – and this is where your own deliberations in the coming days must lead: in making provisions for protecting the family as the fundamental nucleus of society and humanity; providing right education for children, avoiding everything that could lead people to extremism and violence.

As it is said in the Document:

“We resolutely declare that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility, and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood.”

As an antidote to hatred, violence, extremism and blind fanaticism, the Document emphasizes a certain number of conditions. I summarize as:
 
(1) Authentic teachings of religions must always “defend the values of mutual understanding, human fraternity, and harmonious coexistence”

(2) Every person enjoys “the freedom of belief, thought, expression and action.”

(3) “A culture of tolerance, acceptance of others and of living together peacefully would contribute significantly to reducing many economic, social, political and environmental problems.”

(4) “Dialogue among believers means coming together in the vast space of spiritual, human and shared social values.”

(5) “The protection of places of worship … is a duty guaranteed by religions, human values, laws and international agreements.”

(6) It is “necessary to stop supporting terrorist movements fueled by financing, the provision of weapons and strategy, and by attempts to justify these movements…Such terrorism must be condemned in all its forms and expressions.”

(7) In order to guarantee equality of rights and duties, “it is crucial to establish in our societies the concept of full citizenship and reject the discriminatory use of the term “minorities…”

(8) The East and West have to find a convergence of mutual collaboration on the basis of their complementary values. 

(9) The rights of women, of the families and of the elderly people have to be further developed and respected.
 
In conclusion, the Pope and the Grand Imam make the following pledge:

“To this end, by mutual cooperation, the Catholic Church and Al-Azhar announce and pledge to convey this Document to authorities, influential leaders, persons of religion all over the world, appropriate regional and international organizations. Organizations within civil society, religious institutions and leading thinkers.”

I was present on the evening of February 4, 2019, in Abu Dhabi. I can testify that the Declaration has started to bear fruit in the region where I am resident for more than 15 years. However, there is still a long way to go. I simply wish to mention the disastrous war in Yemen, where millions of people are longing for justice and peace. Who will have the courage to break the vicious circle of violence?

I recall the words that Pope Francis spoke while addressing the interfaith gathering at Abu Dhabi on 4 ^th February,

“Today we too, in the name of God, in order to safeguard peace, need to enter together as one family into an ark which can sail the stormy seas of the world: the ark of fraternity.”

On this vigil of the opening of the Assembly, let us make a humble, joint and earnest prayer to the Father of the universe in the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi:

“Make me an instrument of your peace!”