Welcoming Each Other: From Fear to Trust–this is the theme of the European Congress organized by the Religions for Peace movement. The meeting, which was held at Castel Gandolfo (Rome), Italy from 28 October–1 November, was an occasion to focus on hot topics such as globalization, “islamaphobia,” xenophobia, immigration, and extreme individualism.
Luigi De Salvia, Secretary General of Religions for Peace, explained that these subjects, in particular the one linked to immigration, can be opportunities to foster welcome and dialogue between different religions and make an impact on everyone’s life. “Instead of pointing a finger at these closures, at things that are difficult to accept,” he said, “we should try to understand the profound weaknesses [from which they spring], which are sometimes remote in origin and which are also a sign of an insufficient spiritual life. Religious communities should band together to make this contribution and thus give meaning to the need to reclaim our humanity so as to be able to see ourselves as a single human family.”