Pope announces religious tolerance summit

The Pope focussed on religious intolerance during his New Year address at St Peter’s Basilica. His comments came just hours after the Alexandria bomb in Egypt, the latest of several similar attacks recently in the Middle East, the Far East and Africa.

‘With discrimination, abuses and religious intolerances that are striking Christians today in a particular way, I renew my call not to give in to discouragement and resignation,’ the pontiff said.

Benedict XVI announced a summit of world religious leaders later in the year to discuss how peace and tolerance can be better promoted.

‘Religious freedom is a fundamental part of the rule of law,” he went on. “You cannot deny it without, in time, hitting all fundamental rights and freedoms.’

The Pope said ‘words were not enough.’ He called on everyone, from national leaders to those on a local level, to make a ‘concrete and constant commitment’ to push for peace in their daily relations with neighbours.

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