Saint John Paul II preached Christ in Assisi
In order to properly and honestly evaluate the controversial interreligious meeting in 1986, one must take into account the extraordinary and exceptional circumstances of the Church and the world at a time when a terrible nuclear war was threatened and the complete destruction of the world. There is no doubt that this great pope saved the world from destruction.
It should also be remembered that Saint John Paul II had no influence on the numerous abuses that took place during the interreligious meeting (e.g. a figure of a false god was placed on the tabernacle and thus the Blessed Sacrament was insulted). These were the events for which the clergy was responsible that allowed it.
John Paul II himself, announcing this meeting, warned against religious syncretism, therefore it was decided that all the gathered people would pray one by one, and so separately, not together. Prayers were said in such a way that each group prayed separately and at the appointed time.
To bear witness to the one true faith in Jesus Christ, after the prayers of Saint John Paul II, he said:
1. IN CONCLUDING this World Day of Prayer for Peace, to which you have come from many parts of the world, kindly accepting my invitation, I would like now to express my feelings, as a brother and friend, but also as a believer in Jesus Christ, and, in the Catholic Church, the first witness of faith in him.
In relation to the last prayer, the Christian one, in the series we have all heard, I profess here anew my conviction, shared by all Christians, that in Jesus Christ, as Saviour of all, true peace is to be found, "peace to those who are far off and peace to those who are near". His birth was greeted by the angels’ song: "Glory to God in the highest and peace among men with whom he is pleased". He preached love among all, even among foes, proclaimed blessed those who work for peace and through his Death and Resurrection he brought about reconciliation between heaven and earth. To use an expression of Paul the Apostle: "He is our peace".
2. It is, in fact, my faith conviction which has made me turn to you, representatives of the Christian Churches and Ecclesial Communities and World Religions, in deep love and respect.
3. (...) Peace depends basically on this Power, which we call God, and as Christians believe has revealed himself in Christ. This is the meaning of this World Day of Prayer.(...) The form and content of our prayers are very different, as we have seen, and there can be no question of reducing them to a kind of common denominator (...) I humbly repeat here my own conviction: peace bears the name of Jesus Christ.
vatican.va/…prayer-peace-assisi-final.html
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Worth reading:
Pius XI and Assisi 1986
St. John Paul II imitated St. Paul the Apostle
Saint John Paul II imitated these popes
„Peoples everywhere, open the doors to Christ!”
