VATICAN CITY/ABU DHABI – Marking the fifth anniversary of the Document on Human Fraternity, Vatican Pope Francis reiterated his gratitude to Ahmad el Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, and to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, according to Vatican News.
He thanked them “for their vital support of initiatives aimed at promoting the values of fraternity and social comradeship founded on the truth that all human beings are not only created equal but are intrinsically connected as brothers and sisters.”
Pope Francis was speaking five years after he signed the Document on Human Fraternity with Tayyeb in Abu Dhabi on February 4, 2019.
“It is encouraging to see that the journey of dialogue, companionship and mutual esteem which began in Abu Dhabi five years ago continues to bear fruit.”
He, however, regretted the fact that in many parts of the world, the effects of “lack of fraternal solidarity” cause “environmental destruction” and “social degradation” that lead to “immense suffering for a large number of our brothers and sisters.”
It is essential, therefore, to “draw attention to the principles that can guide humanity through the dark shadows of injustice, hatred, and war into the brightness of a world community marked by those values that we see manifest in the varied efforts of this year’s awardees.”
On the occasion of the 2024 International Day of Human Fraternity, the pope also sent heartfelt greetings and sentiments of warm friendship to all present for this year’s presentation of the Zayed Prize.
He congratulated the three winners of the Zayed Prize: the Indonesian organisations Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, the Egyptian heart surgeon Magdi Yacoub, and the Chilean Sister Nelly León.
According to the pope, the large number of candidates who applied “is yet another sign that the values celebrated and promoted on this day are resonating throughout our human family.”
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