Before leaving for the capital on Tuesday, November 28, where he will meet the political authorities of the country, Pope Francis greeted the religious leaders.
“If we argue, we shall do it as brothers and sisters.” This is what Francis said in the informal meeting at 10 a. m. this morning in the refectory of the Archiepiscopal residence of Yangon. The meeting lasted 40 minutes.
After a brief introduction by the Catholic bishop Hohn Hsane Hgyi, the Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu, Jewish representatives and the two Christians, Anglican and Catholic ones, took the floor.
The Pope, speaking off the cuff, said that, while listening to their speeches he remembered “a prayer that we often pray, from the Book of Psalms: What a good thing is to see the brothers united. United does not mean identical. Unity does not mean uniformity, even within the confession itself. Everyone has their own values, their own riches, and even their own failings. We are all different and each confession has its own riches, its own traditions: riches to offer, to share. And that can only be if we live in peace. And peace is built with the choir of differences.”
“It is with differences that we make unity”. Three times, one of you used the word “harmony”. This is peace: harmony and harmony. At this time in which we are living, we are experiencing a worldwide trend towards uniformity, to do all in the same way. This is killing humanity. This is a cultural colonization. And we must understand the richness of our differences (ethnic, religious, of the peoples): dialogue arises from these differences. And from these “differences one learns from the other, as brothers and sisters... that, as brethren, we shall help in the construction of this country, which is geographically very rich and diverse. The nature of Myanmar has been very rich in differences. We are not afraid of differences. One is our Father. We are brothers and sisters. We shall love ourselves as brothers and sisters. And if we argue, let us do so it as brothers and sisters. We shall love ourselves as brothers and sisters. I believe that only in this way can build peace.
The Pope then thanked the representatives “for having come to visit me. I am the one visiting you. And I would like that, at least spiritually, this visit be that of one more brother. Thank you. Build peace. Don’t let cultural colonization uniform you. True divine harmony is made through differences. Differences are a richness for peace. Many thanks, and now I would allow myself a prayer, from brother to brothers: an ancient blessing that includes us all: “May the Lord bless you all and protect you, let his face shine on you and show you grace. Shall he unveil his face and grant you peace.”
