An interreligious ceremony with representatives from many religions and beliefs was one of the standout events on Saturday (7/20) during Phase 2 of Genfest. The moment featured the participation of representatives from Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Umbanda, Christianity and people without a religious affiliation. Each participant offered a prayer for world peace according to their own beliefs and expressions.

Jesús Morán, co-president of the Focolare Movement, emphasized, “Promoting unity among all of humanity is the vocation of the Focolare Movement. Both believers in religions and those who do not profess any faith share a common quest for the Absolute. Interreligious dialogue is the best tool for achieving unity, overcoming differences without interfering with individual identities, so as to build peace together,”

Atilla Kus, Secretary-General of the Islamic Centre and for Interreligious Dialogue in Brazil, highlighted the necessity of continuous dialogue for society to practice peace. “It was very gratifying to experience this celebration at Genfest and to see that the youth are committed to interreligious dialogue. We are in a very critical moment in human history and the world. We increasingly need future generations to be prepared to deal with forthcoming problems, from socio-ecological crises to conflicts caused by the absence of peace. This way, we can dream of a peaceful and harmonious future.”

For the Archbishop of Juiz de Fora (MG), Dom Gil Antônio Moreira, who prepared a special prayer for the peace celebration at Genfest, what unites all religions is stronger than what divides them. “Peace is a desire of Christ. The first word He asked of us was peace. For there to be love, there must be peace. For there to be peace, there must be love. It is true that all religions seek peace. Therefore, we must work together to achieve peace,” he declared.

Laxman Kami, a Hindu from Nepal presented a dance that is a prayer for peace. “It was a beautiful experience to be at Genfest 2024 representing Hinduism, especially for the interreligious dialogue celebration. In Hinduism, it’s all about celebration, colours, and being vibrant, just like here at Genfest. The foundation of our culture is to give and be a gift to others. Therefore, being a protagonist at this moment and sharing my prayer with everyone was a surreal experience for me,” he said.

Representing Buddhism, Maria Sassaki, a member of Risho Kossei-kai, celebrated the great friendship between the founders of her movement and Chiara Lubich, and the common purpose of seeking peace and fraternity. “Genfest represents all of this and we must continue what our founders started in our quest for world peace.”

Umbandist Ana Clara Rotta emphasized the importance of interreligious dialogue, especially given the 47% increase in religious crimes in Brazil over the past two years. Religions of African origin are the most frequent targets of religious intolerance in the country. “Umbanda is a religion that suffers a lot of intolerance in Brazil, and I think this comes a lot from a lack of knowledge. So, the more we talk about it, that Umbanda is love, light, charity, and peace and that we also want a united world, the better it will be. The only thing that differentiates us is the way we worship, but we have the same purpose. May these moments be more frequent and may we be with young people who want change, who want revolution. For me, a united world is already beginning. It will take a lot of work, but we just have to keep going.”

At the end of the celebration, the Interreligious Peace Dice was inaugurated, a new version of the pedagogical tool ” Dice of  Love,” based on the Art of Loving advocated by Chiara Lubich. Each face of the dice features an important phrase from five religions – Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism – and at the centre, the “Golden Rule” common to all religions: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you and do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you.”

July 21, 2024

Photos: Mariele Previdi

Source: https://focolares.org.br/cerimonia-interreligiosa-pela-paz-foi-um-dos-pontos-altos-do-genfest-2024-em-aparecida-sp/