VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 107
DATE 09-06-2015

Summary:
- Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher at the Council of Europe: the religious
dimension of intercultural dialogue
- Cardinal Rauber to take possession of his diaconate
- Other Pontifical Acts

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 Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher at the Council of Europe: the religious
dimension of intercultural dialogue
 Vatican City, 9 June 2015 (VIS) - Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary
for Relations with States, spoke at the seminar "Building inclusive societies
together: contributions to Sarajevo's exchange on the religious dimension of
intercultural dialogue" on 8 June at the Council of Europe, in preparation for
the 2015 Meeting on this issue to be held in the capital of Bosnia and
Herzegovina from 8 to 9 September.
 The archbishop structured his discussion according to four main theses: in the
context of growing multipolarity, religions are an essential subject/actor in
the area of intercultural dialogue; religions are called to offer a specific
contribution to the advancement of a culture of human rights; religious freedom
is a key element in the development of a democratic society; and the promotion
and protection of the right to religious freedom is a basic task of states and
international organisations.
 "Open and respectful encounters between religious traditions and between these
and the social and political world are fundamental for social cohesion", he
said. "The religious dimension continues to be a living reference point for
millions of people in Europe, affecting their choices and, to a greater or
lesser degree, their identity. It is a dimension which is in continuous
transformation, due to new religious forms of life and profound changes
experienced within religious communities that have long been present in Europe.
... For intercultural dialogue to bear fruit, it must face not only the
religious dimension in general, but also interact with particular religious
confessions with all their historic characteristics".
 "Without the particular contribution given by religious perspectives on the
human person, ... the entire culture of human rights, even those of
non-believers,
would be greatly impoverished. I cannot claim to speak in the name of other
religious cultures; but I believe that the specific contribution of the
Catholic
Church to a common culture of human rights may be seen in concrete ways and I
will limit myself to offering a few examples, which are by no means exhaustive.
First of all, there is the awareness of a radical equality and fraternity
between every human person created in the image and likeness of God. Secondly,
the recognition of the worth of the least among us, of the poor and the
marginalised, of the dignity of every human life no matter how weak or
precarious, from conception through natural death. Thirdly, the capacity to
transmit a religious identity which is both firm and respectful of others, open
to dialogue with other religions and world views. As can easily be seen, these
are universal values, and while they are not exclusive to the Catholic Faith,
the latter has offered and continues to offer a unique contribution. Every
religious tradition can and must make its own particular contribution, even
when
it becomes important to find a way to relate honestly to one another, embracing
the good that exists in all traditions and also inviting sincere discussion on
the perceived limitations of every tradition of thought, be it religious or
not".
 "In today's context of multicultural societies, respect for religious freedom
is one of the fundamental factors by which the health of a given democracy can
be evaluated as being truly a home for everyone. Promoting religious freedom
appears particularly important in averting and countering the phenomena of
extremist violence and radicalisation, against which governments and
international organisations are currently engaged, among them the Council of
Europe".

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 Cardinal Rauber to take possession of his diaconate
 Vatican City, 9 June 2015 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the
Supreme Pontiff today announced that on Saturday 13 June at 11 a.m., Cardinal
Karl-Josef Rauber will take possession of the diaconate of Sant'Antonio di
Padova a Circonvallazione Appia, (Circonvallazione Appia, 150).

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 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 9 June 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Rev. Fr.
Aliaksandr Yasheuski, S.D.B., as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev
(area 69,800, population 4,253,000, Catholics 610,000, priests 124, religious
147), Belarus. The bishop-elect was born in 1974 in Smarhon, Belarus, gave his
perpetual vows in 1998, and was ordained a priest in 2000. He holds a
licentiate
in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Salesian University of Rome, and has
served in a number of pastoral roles in the diocese of Grodno, Belarus,
including parish administrator, and within his community as director of the
Salesian novitiate in Oktiabrsk in the province of Moscow, Russian Federation.
In Minsk he has served as parish vicar, director of the office for education
and
religious teaching, director of the Salesian community, and teacher of dogmatic
theology at the centre for the preparation of catechists. He is currently
parish
vicar in Smarhon, director of the local Salesian community, and vicar and
bursar
of the Belarusian delegation of the Salesian society.

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