The second International Day of Human Fraternity was celebrated at the Dubai Expo, in the United Arab Emirates.
Among the meeting's participants were Card. Miguel Angel Ayuso, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and the United Arab Emirates' Minister of Tolerance.
Pope Francis participated in the event through this video message.
POPE FRANCIS
'The path of fraternity is long and challenging, yet it is the anchor of salvation for humanity. Let us counter the many threatening signs, times of darkness and mindsets of conflict with the sign of fraternity that, in accepting others and respecting their identity, invites them to a shared journey.'
The Pope insisted upon two objectives: learning to respect others and fostering fraternity.
POPE FRANCIS
'Not all the same, no. But brothers and sisters, each with his or her own personality, his or her uniqueness. Our resolve is to walk side by side, “brothers and sisters all,” in order to be effective artisans of peace and justice.'
Although Pope Francis participated through a video message, the physical event took place in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.
That's where, in 2019, the Pope and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar signed a document to promote human fraternity. In 2020, the United Nations supported this initiative by establishing an International Day of Human Fraternity, to be celebrated on the anniversary of the signing of that document.
JRB
TR: CT