"Pope asks universities to disseminate his claim ‘diversity of religions’ is ‘willed by God’"

lifesitenews.com

"The Vatican’s office for promoting interreligious dialogue has asked Catholic university professors to give the 'widest possible dissemination' to a controversial joint statement signed by Pope Francis last month that claims a 'diversity of religions' is 'willed by God.' The office adds that the request comes from Pope Francis himself (read full letter below).

The letter of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, which was obtained by LifeSiteNews, is dated February 21, 2019. It was sent last week to Catholic university professors in Rome, together with the attached 'Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together' which Pope Francis signed with Grand Imam Ahmad el-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi on February 4.

Bishop Miguel Ayuso Guixot, secretary of the Pontifical Council, wrote in the letter that the 'Holy Father has asked this Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue to contribute to the widest possible dissemination of the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together' as it had been originally signed by Pope Francis and by Ahmad el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Egypt’s al-Azhar Mosque.

Guixot asked professors, priests, and sisters at universities to 'facilitate the distribution, the study, and the reception' of the document, adding that the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue 'will be grateful to you already now for any possible initiative, in the frame of this institution, which aims at the spreading of this Document.'

The letter also quotes some passages from the Abu Dhabi document, in which both signatories 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.' The signers promise to 'make known the principles contained in this Declaration at all regional and international levels, while requesting that these principles be translated into policies, decisions, legislative texts, courses of study and materials to be circulated.' A further aim is to 'educate new generations' in the sense of this document for world peace and fraternity among peoples and religions...

Translation of the February 21 letter of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue:

Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

Vatican, 21 February 2019

Prot. N. 129-19

Rev. Father/ Rev. Sister/ Dear Professor,

The Holy Father has asked this Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue to contribute to the widest possible dissemination of the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, which has been signed at Abu Dhabi, on 4 February, by the same Supreme Pontiff and by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar.

Associated in this way with the announcement and promise that the signatories of this Document have enshrined, I wish to ask Your Eminence/ Excellency to facilitate the distribution, the study, and the reception, because:

[…] 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. They further pledge to make known the principles contained in this Declaration at all regional and international levels, while requesting that these principles be translated into policies, decisions, legislative texts, courses of study and materials to be circulated.

Al-Azhar and the Catholic Church ask that this Document become the object of research and reflection in all schools, universities and institutes of formation, thus helping to educate new generations to bring goodness and peace to others, and to be defenders everywhere of the rights of the oppressed and of the least of our brothers and sisters.

The Pontifical Council will be grateful to you already now for any possible initiative, in the frame of this institution, which aims at the spreading of this Document.

For all good purposes, I allow myself to attach the Document in its two original languages – Italian and Arabic – while at the same time pointing out that other official translations are available on the official website of the Apostolic See: http://w2.vatican.va

I use this opportunity to assure you, with most distinguished feelings, of my cordial respect,

+ Miguel Ángel AYUSO GUIXOT, M.C.C.J.

Secretary"