Religion gives answers to numerous questions, and faith suggests ways to solve many issues. This is the unanimous view of the capital’s main guests, the participants of the 20th Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and the upcoming International Congress. According to religious clerics, faith and spirit in a joint search for ways out of the pressing issues of the world today will certainly bring an effective result.
“We discussed a lot of topical issues and adopted a declaration which, in my opinion, is well drawn up. And this marks the major challenges of our time which the religious leaders are called upon to respond together. These are the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, extremism, bloodshed that the world sees at present, social inequality, the necessity to help the poor and those in need. We focused on the main problems the world faces nowadays. It is impossible to address these challenges without religious leaders. Only with their participation, and with the involvement of the communities they inspire, the pressing issues can be solved,” stated Dimitry Safonov, DECR Secretary for Interreligious Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Department, Russian Orthodox Church.
“The point of the Secretariat is to bring together a wide range of people with some very different convictions, yet who are committed to work together. So, the beauty of that circle is that it holds the space between us. And, of course, there are many things on which we agree, and there are some things on which we disagree. And we have to negotiate. We have to learn to disagree well,” said Jo Bailey Wells, Special Representative of the Anglican Church, Bishop of Dorking.
“As one of the religious leaders, I am very grateful for the invitation and impressed that all the major religious figures have gathered in one place. I believe this forum symbolizes our world. Various topics were raised at the meeting today. We have been talking and will continue to talk about equality, the rights of women, education. I am really glad that such crucial and pressing topics were discussed,” shared Son Jin, Member of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.
