The task of religion is to bring out the best in each person, says Pope
At an inter-religious meeting today in Azerbaijan, the Pope declared that the world's faiths "have an educational task: to help bring out the best in each person."
Addressing the Sheikh of the Muslims of the Caucasus, and Jewish and Orthodox leaders this morning, the Holy Father said: "We, as guides, have a great responsibility, in order to offer authentic responses to men and women who are searching [and] often lost among the swirling contradictions of our time."
He spoke of two tendencies in modern society - "the dominance of nihilism" among "those who no longer believe in anything except their own wellbeing, advantage and profit," and "rigid and fundamentalist reactions" among others "who, through violent deeds seek to impose extreme and radical attitudes" which are those "furthest from the living God."
In contrast religion "helps to discern the good and put it into practice through deeds, prayer and diligent cultivation of the inner life," said the Pope, stressing that all faiths are "called to build a culture of encounter and peace, based on patience, understanding, and humble, tangible steps."
"In this night of conflict that we are currently enduring, may religions be a dawn of peace, seeds of rebirth amid the devastation of death," he concluded.