‘Religious leaders must cooperate to resolve conflicts’

Pope Francis has shown apparent support for a proposal by former Israeli President Shimon Peres for a United Religions organisation who said it is “high time religious leaders cooperate to resolve conflicts.”

A new international organisation, replacing the outdated United Nations, would be more effective at combating terrorism because it would deter killing in the name of faith, Mr Peres said during a 45-minute meeting with Francis at the Vatican last week.

“The UN has had its time,” Mr Peres was quoted as saying by the Catholic weekly Famiglia Cristiana. “What we need is an organisation of United Religions, the UN of religions.”

“It would be the best way to combat these terrorists who kill in the name of their faith, because most people are not like them, they practise their religions without killing anyone, without even thinking about it,” he said.

He said that there should be a charter, like that of the UN, adding: “The new charter would serve to establish in the name of all the faiths that slitting people’s throats or conducting mass slaughters, like the ones we have seen in recent weeks, has nothing to do with religion. This is what I proposed to the Pope.”

Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi confirmed that the Pope had listened with “respect” to the proposal and said he would draw it to the attention of Curia officials tasked with peace-­building and inter-religious dialogue.
Addressing a conference organised by the Italian Sant’Egidio community, Pope Francis rued the “senseless slaughter” of war. His message to the International Peace Meeting said: “the time has come for religious leaders to cooperate more effectively in ... resolving conflicts and pursuing peace.”

Mr Peres visited the Vatican in May before he retired as president, for a joint prayer meeting with Pope Francis and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.