The Sovereign Pontiff and the Holy See regularly speak out in the community of nations, calling for the fundamental rights of cultural minorities to be respected, beginning with the right to exist and to express oneself freely in one’s own culture and language, without any form of violence. The principles of the Holy See’s position in this connection are summarised in John Paul II’s address to the United Nations on 5 October 1995 and also in his message for World Peace Day on 1 January 2001, Dialogue Between Cultures for a Civilisation of Love and Peace: “Dialogue between cultures emerges as an intrinsic demand of human nature itself, as well as of culture”.
(See http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/peace/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_20001208_xxxiv-world-day-for-peace_en.html).
In dialogue with Islamic brethren, Benedict XVI, during his voyage to Cameroon (17-23 March 2009) showed the concrete ground where it is necessary to meet in the name of a common appeal to reason: on the one hand, the refusal of “all forms of violence”, and on the other hand, human rights with the refusal of slavery and discrimination against women and minorities.
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