Columban Interreligious Dialogue » Message for Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr

Message for Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr

Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue

The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue has published its annual Message for Ramadan 2024.

A plain text version in Arabic, English, French and Italian is available on the Vatican website https://www.vatican.va/content/romancuria/en/dicasteri/dicastero-dialogo-interreligioso/documenti.html,
A 4-page formatted version is available on the DID website https://www.dicasteryinterreligious.va/message-for-month-of-ramadan-and-id-al-fitr-1445-2024/.
The Vatican has provided a summary of the Message: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-03/message-for-ramadan-encourages-working-together-for-world-peace.html

The Message is provided below:
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DICASTERY FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

MESSAGE FOR THE MONTH OF RAMADAN AND ‘ID Al-FITR

1445 H. / 2024 A.D.

Christians and Muslims:

Extinguish the Fire of War and Light the Candle of Peace

Vatican City

Dear Muslim brothers and sisters,

Once again we greet you on the occasion of the month of Ramadan with a message of closeness and friendship, aware of the importance of this month for your spiritual journey and for your family and social life, which also embraces your Christian friends and neighbours.

We are pleased to know that our yearly Message to you for Ramadan is an important means of strengthening and building good relations between Christians and Muslims, thanks to its diffusion through traditional and modern media, particularly social media. For this reason, it would be beneficial to make this Message better known among both communities.

We would have liked to share with you some considerations on a different theme from the one we have chosen to address. Yet the growing number of conflicts in these days, ranging from military combat to armed clashes of varying intensity involving states, criminal organizations, armed gangs and civilians, has become truly alarming. Pope Francis recently observed that this increase in hostilities is in fact transforming “a third world war fought piecemeal” into “a genuine global conflict”.

The causes of these conflicts are many, some long-standing, others more recent. Together with the perennial human desire for domination, geo-political ambitions and economic interests, a major cause is surely the continuing production and commerce in arms. Even as part of our human family suffers grievously from the devastating effects of the use of these arms in warfare, others cynically rejoice in the great economic profit deriving from this immoral commerce. Pope Francis has described this as dipping a morsel of bread in the blood of our brother.

At the same time, we can be thankful that we also possess immense human and religious resources for advancing peace. The desire for peace and security is profoundly rooted in the soul of every person of good will, since no one can fail to see the tragic effects of war in the loss of human lives, the toll of serious injury and the throngs of orphans and widows. The destruction of infrastructure and property makes life hopelessly difficult, if not impossible. Sometimes hundreds of thousands of people are displaced in their own country or forced to flee to other countries as refugees. Consequently, the condemnation and rejection of war should be unambiguous: every war is fratricide, useless, senseless, and dark. In war, everyone loses. Once again, in the words of Pope Francis: “No war is holy, only peace is holy”.

All religions, each in their own way, consider human life sacred and thus worthy of respect and protection. The states that permit and practise capital punishment are, fortunately, becoming fewer each year. A reawakened sense of the respect for this fundamental dignity of the gift of life will contribute to the conviction that war must be rejected and peace cherished.

Albeit with their differences, religions acknowledge the existence and the important role of conscience. Forming consciences to respect the absolute value of the life of each person and his or her right to physical integrity, security and a dignified life will likewise contribute to the condemnation and rejection of war, any war and all wars.

We look to the Almighty as God of peace, the source of peace, who in a special way loves all those who devote their lives to the service of peace. Like so many things, peace is a divine gift but at the same time the fruit of human efforts, especially in preparing the conditions necessary for its establishment and preservation.

As believers, we are also witnesses to hope, as we recalled in our 2021 Message for Ramadan: “Christians and Muslims: Witnesses of Hope”. Hope can be symbolized by a candle, whose light radiates security and joy, whereas fire, uncontrolled, can lead to the destruction of fauna and flora, infrastructure and the loss of human lives.

Dear Muslim brothers and sisters, let us join in extinguishing the fires of hatred, violence and war, and instead light the gentle candle of peace, drawing upon resources for peace that are present in our rich human and religious traditions.

May your fasting and other pious practices during Ramadan and the celebration of ‘Id al-Fitr that concludes it, bring you abundant fruits of peace, hope and joy.

From the Vatican, 11 March 2024

Miguel Ángel Cardinal Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ
Prefect

Msgr Indunil Kodithuwakku Janakaratne Kankanamalage
Secretary
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I encourage you to share this 2024 Ramadan Message as widely as possible, to your family and friends, to work colleagues, to your social network. In these times of conflict it is all the more important to show solidarity and build community, especially among the Abrahamic religions who have been divided by their loyalties to one or other side in the Israel-Hamas war.

Share the Message with Muslims:

Print and hand out hard copies
Share it at iftar meals
Post it on social media
Include it in Eid cards
E-mail it to Muslim contacts

And share the Message with Christians too, as the Message itself asks, in all of the above ways. This is a very practical way of educating and updating Christians about the Church’s positive attitude towards Muslims, on how we need to live together in peace and mutual support, the need to cooperate on social justice, to get to know each other’s teachings through theological exchanges, and to learn from each other’s spiritual resources.

Promote it to Catholic, Muslim and community newspapers, e-news, and websites.

To assist you in sharing the 2024 Ramadan Message, I have downloaded and formatted the Message in various formats. Attached please find the following 6 files:

The 2-page White pdfs (1 and 2) are for printing hard copies to hand out to people. You can print them on regular white paper, but to make them more attractive, I print them on tan-coloured paper like the parchment colour of the Vatican website.
The 2-page Tan pdfs (3 and 4) are for e-mailing only. If you print them, you will have a white border around the edge.
The 4-page pdfs (5 and 6) are ideal for printing as ‘booklets’ on A-3 size pages to give to VIPs.

In addition, there are two sets of 2 single JPG pages in English and Arabic (see below). These are for posting on social media.

DID Ramadan Message 2024 English, Tan, p1 of 2.jpg

DID Ramadan Message 2024 English, Tan, p2 of 2.jpg

DID Ramadan Message 2024 Arabic, Tan, p1 of 2.jpg

DID Ramadan Message 2024 Arabic, Tan, p2 of 2.jpg

I hope you find these files helpful for spreading the message to Muslims and Christians especially, but also to other interfaith and community allies. in the various ways open to you.

Wishing you every blessing:

To Jews, for Pesach (Passover)
To Christians for Lent and Easter
To Muslims for Ramadan and Eid.

Yours fraternally,

Patrick McInerney

Rev Dr Patrick McInerney
Director, Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations