G8: One of the highest-ranking Vatican delegations to visit Russia joined more than 100 religious leaders in Moscow to appeal to G8 leaders in St Petersburg next week to build a world based on social justice and inclusion.
The World Summit of Religious Leaders, which concluded on Wednesday, brought together leaders from 40 countries representing Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Shinto for the three-day conference, billed as the largest of its kind by the organisers, the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Catholic delegation included Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin, who said talks with the Russian Orthodox Church suggested that the often tense relations between the two are improving. "The difficult issues were addressed. There seemed to be a certain optimism that we could address these questions and the atmosphere was very cordial." He said a visit by Pope Benedict XVI to Moscow had not been discussed.
Speaking at the summit, the archbishop told delegates it "offered a vision of development which fosters and underlines the dignity of the person, respect for the family and the fact that the gifts of creation are for the benefit of all." He said it was "a vision which will offer hope and meaning, a contribution which only people of faith can bring, which we must bring."
The statement to be delivered to the G8 offers a religious perspective on global issues such as terrorism, fighting the spread of Aids and combating racism. "Previous G8 summits have been held in very western, media-driven cultures like Britain. It's very important that, this being the first G8 held in Russia, a meeting like this should keep the flag of global humanitarian concerns flying," Dr Martin said.
The situation in the Middle East was a recurring theme in discussions, he said. "There was a clear indication on the part of Muslims, Jews and Christians that until the situation there is addressed much more courageously it will be an open wound in international life."
Other delegates also stressed the need for religious figures to engage with the world's most pressing problems. "Political leaders often don't take into account the religious point of view. Our job is to remind them of this," Bishop Mark Golovkov, a senior bishop in Moscow Patriarchate, said.
Russia's supreme mufti, Talgat Tadjuddin, said it was "impossible to allow terrorists or extremists to use religious values to justify themselves."
The general secretary of the Conference of European Churches, the Venerable Colin Williams, said the message the summit wanted to send to G8 leaders was clear: "that they must continue to marry actions to promises, and that we will be watching them closely."