ROME -- The Sant’Egidio Catholic Community based in the capital strongly supports peace negotiations in the Central African Republic and hosted the ‘Interreligious Platform’ between a cardinal, an imam and a protestant pastor in order to support and promote dialogue of this nature, Sant’Egidio said Monday.

  The archbishop of Bangui Dieudonné Nzapalainga -- recently made cardinal by Pope Francis -- the imam Kobine Layama, and the Prostant pastor Philippe Sing-Na -- all protagonists of the ‘Interreligious Platform’ of the Central African Republic -- met in Sant’Egidio, where over the past few years, negotiations have been taking place to find a solution to the political and military crisis that has ravaged this country.

 Tuesday at midday, the same religious leaders will go together to visit a Roman mosque of Monte Antenne, as a gesture of peace and dialogue. The person responsible for Foreign Affairs in the Sant’Edigio community, Mauro Garofalo, said “our commitment towards the Central African Republic will continue, whether through dialogue, or through humanitarian initiatives to favour the development of the country.”

 “Peace is young in the Central African Republic, which is also a country of young people. Because of this, there is a need for areal and true education of peace. The message from Christians and Muslims, come together for a large delegation in Rome for the cardinalship of Nzapalainga is a narrative that goes far beyond the Central African Republic. It is a model of dialogue that should be encouraged and replicated,” concluded Garofalo.

 Cardinal Nzapalainga thanked the Community of Sant’Egidio “for having favoured the process of national reconciliation and for having shown the strength of peace from religious leaders. If we start to look for what divides us, we would not go anywhere,” the new cardinal observed, underlining the efficacy of a method that has convinced the Central African people and most of all “has distanced many young people from the manipulative propaganda of conflict.”

 “The dialogues of the Interreligious Platform have created a sacred union -- Catholics, Muslims and Protestants, together for the return of peace. As weapons, prayer and dialogue, in order to liberate the religions from the violence that disfigure them.”

 In this sense, “the crisis has been an opportunity to uncover the authentic face of religion and has pushed us towards a conversion to reasons for peace,” he concluded.

 The imam Layama, president of the Islamic Community of the Central African Republic, has defined the Argentine pontiff’s visit to Bangui as “a historical event that has changed the story of our country,” observing how Nzapalainga’s nomination for cardinalship is an attentive gesture on behalf of the pope that “ennobles the story of our country.”

 “According to the Koran, human life is sacred and inviolable,” the imam said, who over the years has always sought to protect the conviviality between Christians and Muslims.” The initiave of the interreligious platform “has brought us closer and has made us discover brothers between us,” Layama concluded.

 nkd