Pope to Muslims: Every believer must be free to propose his own religion, it must never be imposed!

Tiziana Campisi – Vatican City

The brief meeting with a group of Muslims from Bologna in the study of the Paul VI Hall, before the general audience, is an opportunity for Pope Francis to once again call for universal brotherhood. The pontiff has done so in a greeting addressed to the delegation of the mosque of the Emilian capital, in which he asks believers of all denominations to promote harmony among people.

The example of Christians, Jews and Muslims

To “welcome one another as brothers”, “first of all”, Christians, Jews and Muslims are called, who worship “one God”, and who “refer, in different ways, to Abraham as a father in the faith”, is the invitation of the Pope, who considers the “witness of brotherhood” of the faithful of monotheistic religions “essential and very precious” in today’s world.

Freedom of conscience and religion must be respected

In the text of the speech, Francis emphasized that “honest and respectful dialogue between Christians and Muslims is a duty” for those who seek to “follow the will of God,” who wants “His children to love each other, help each other and reach an agreement with humility and patience if there are any difficulties or misunderstandings between them.” But dialogue requires that the “dignity” and “rights of each person” be recognized, the Pope says, and among them, first of all, “freedom of conscience and religion.”

Furthermore, every believer must feel free to propose – never impose! – his or her own religion to other people, whether they are believers or not. This excludes all forms of conversion, which is understood as pressure or intimidation; all forms of economic or work favors must be rejected; you must not take advantage of people’s ignorance.

Francis ultimately thanked the Bologna mosque delegation for its “good relations with the Catholic Church: with the bishops, with the clergy and with the faithful, in mutual respect and friendship” and for Muslim communities being “builders of peace.”