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Pope Condemns Use of Religion for Violence
.c The Associated Press
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope John Paul II received Muslim, Orthodox
Christian and Jewish religious leaders from Azerbaijan, calling their
visit Thursday a symbol of tolerance and declaring that religion must
never be used for violent aims.
``No one has the right to present or use religion as an instrument of
intolerance, as a means of aggression, of violence, of death,'' the
pope told the group.
Christians, Muslims and Jews must appeal together for an end to
violence in the world ``with justice for all,'' he said.
``This is the way of religions,'' he said.
The audience was scheduled to repay the pope's 2002 trip to
Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic and mainly Muslim nation with a
Roman Catholic population of only 300 people.
The Vatican said the pope wanted to hold up Azerbaijan as an example
of coexistence and cooperation among religions and express hope that
``a full peace in the spirit of reconciliation'' may be achieved in
the region - a reference to the country's conflict with Armenia over
Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave.
A cease-fire ended fighting in 1994 after some 30,000 people were
killed and more than 1 million people fled their homes.
11/18/04 09:16 EST
.c The Associated Press
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope John Paul II received Muslim, Orthodox
Christian and Jewish religious leaders from Azerbaijan, calling their
visit Thursday a symbol of tolerance and declaring that religion must
never be used for violent aims.
``No one has the right to present or use religion as an instrument of
intolerance, as a means of aggression, of violence, of death,'' the
pope told the group.
Christians, Muslims and Jews must appeal together for an end to
violence in the world ``with justice for all,'' he said.
``This is the way of religions,'' he said.
The audience was scheduled to repay the pope's 2002 trip to
Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic and mainly Muslim nation with a
Roman Catholic population of only 300 people.
The Vatican said the pope wanted to hold up Azerbaijan as an example
of coexistence and cooperation among religions and express hope that
``a full peace in the spirit of reconciliation'' may be achieved in
the region - a reference to the country's conflict with Armenia over
Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave.
A cease-fire ended fighting in 1994 after some 30,000 people were
killed and more than 1 million people fled their homes.
11/18/04 09:16 EST