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Pope Francis concluded his three-day visit to Singapore on Friday with a powerful message of unity.
The pope set aside his prepared text during his address and spoke candidly to the audience.
Using an analogy, Francis said “All religions are a path trying to reach God”.
“They are like different languages in order to arrive at God, but God is God for all” he said.
“Since God is God for all, then we are all children of God.”
No religious fights
In a moment of reflection, Pope Francis warned against religious division.
“If you start to fight, ‘my religion is more important than yours, mine is true and yours isn’t’, where will that lead us?” he asked.
“There’s only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Some are Sheik, Muslim, Hindu, Christian and they are different paths [to God].”
When at war, first strategy is to take out communication
The pope’s address was directed mainly at the youth, encouraging them to actively promote interfaith dialogue that maintains peace and understanding between religions.
“For interreligious dialogue among young people, it takes courage because youth is the time of courage in our lives” he said.
“You can also have this courage and use it for things that don’t help you, or you can use it to move forward and engage in dialogue.
“One thing that helps a lot is to respect dialogue.
“I want to tell you something historical: every dictatorship in history, the first thing they do is take away dialogue” he said, urging the young people to be brave in engaging with those of different faiths.
“Why do I say this? Because overcoming these things helps in your interfaith dialogue since it is built upon respect for others. This is very important.
“If you dialogue as young people, you will dialogue more as adults, as citizens, as politicians” he said.
Giving further encouragement, Francis said “Do not be afraid”, noting that fear is a dictatorial attitude that “can paralyse you”.
Singapore: A religious mosaic
According to Pew Research Center, Singapore is ranked as one of the most diverse countries in the world in terms of religion.
Approximately 26% of Singaporeans identify as Buddhist, 18% as Muslim, 17% as Christian and 8% as Hindu. An additional 22% of Singaporeans do not identify with a specific religion.
Controversial comments
While the pope’s message was welcomed by many, it has also sparked controversy among conservative Catholics.
Some fear that his remarks undermine Catholic doctrine, particularly the belief in Christ as the sole saviour of the world, and could discourage missionary efforts.
Despite this, the pope remained steadfast in his call for respect and dialogue.
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