The Leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, has commended the work of the Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa for fostering fraternity between Christians and Muslims.
The Roman Catholic Pontiff also said their common witness shows how religions can work together to promote peace and the common good.
He said: “In a world increasingly marked by religious radicalization, division, and conflict, your common witness shows that it is possible to live and work together in peace and harmony, despite cultural and religious differences.”
Pope Leo XIV gave this encouragement to a delegation from the Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA), headquartered in Kenya.
The organisation is a pan-African Christian body founded in 1959 with the objective of building good relations between Christians and Muslims on the continent.
The Pope also commended the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue for its role in enabling the Church to advance dialogue with followers of other religions and promote peace and fraternity.
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Pope Leo recalled that the Catholic Church calls for mutual understanding and respect for followers of other religions, affirming that it “rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions.”
He noted that these religions “often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men and women.”
He added: “Every authentic journey toward unity and communion undertaken by Christians and people of goodwill is the work of the Holy Spirit and requires hearts open to encounter and dialogue, so as to embrace one another in genuine fraternity.”
He encouraged continued dialogue between PROCMURA and the Dicastery for the sake of the common good.
Through such efforts, the Pope observed, peace, justice, and hope will increasingly flourish in African societies and beyond.
He reiterated that religions bear a great responsibility “to help our people break free from the chains of prejudice, anger, and hatred; to rise above egoism and self-centeredness; and to overcome the greed that destroys both the human spirit and the earth.”
“In this way,” the Pope said, “we can lead our people to become prophets of our time, with voices that denounce violence and injustice, heal division, and proclaim peace for all our brothers and sisters.”
Pope Leo XIV concluded by inviting those present to go forward as artisans of peace, witnesses of hope, and builders of true fraternity.