Pope Leo XIV has sent a message to the 8th Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, held in Kazakhstan, and he invited the faithful of all religions to help build a future of peace, fraternity, and solidarity.

Leo said the religious leaders had come together at a time marked by violent conflict to "renew friendships and forge new ones, united in our common desire to bring healing to our fractured and wounded world."

Religious leaders from around the globe gathered in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, for the 8th Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which took place on September 17-18 in the central Asian country, that was once part of the Soviet Union.

The Pope sent his greetings to participants with a message that began with the greeting "peace" in several languages.

"Such collaboration is not a call to erase differences, but rather an invitation to embrace diversity as a source of mutual enrichment," said Leo.

"The Catholic Church, for her part, acknowledges and esteems all that is 'true and holy' in other religions (Nostra Aetate, October 28, 1965, 2).

"Indeed, she seeks to foster authentic synergy by bringing the distinct gifts of each tradition to the table of encounter, where each faith contributes its unique wisdom and compassion in service of the common good."

More than 100 participants from 60 countries participated in the forum, including spiritual leaders of major world religions, representatives of international organizations, experts, political scientists, and public figures.

     - ASHKENAZI CHIEF RABBI    

The Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber and the Sephardi Chief Rabbi David Yosef of Israel participated in the congress.

The Chief Rabbis emphasized the Jewish commitment to peace, the Torah's command to preserve every human life, and the responsibility of religious leaders to ensure that faith is never used to justify hatred or violence.

One of the key events was a special session on the protection of religious sites, organized with the support of the UN Alliance of Civilizations.

The session focused on global challenges related to threats against temples, sacred places, and sites of spiritual and cultural heritage.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev opened the religion's congress on September 17 by calling interfaith dialogue "not a luxury but a necessity" in an era of conflict and mistrust.

He described the forum as "a unique tool for strengthening peace and constructive coexistence," and announced its extension through 2033.

Tokayev proposed launching a "Movement for Peace," drafting a joint declaration on climate change, and creating a commission on AI ethics.

He stressed that Kazakhstan's tradition of safeguarding sacred sites reflects its model of "unity in diversity" and vowed to suppress intolerance and ideological extremism.

Reflecting on the event's theme "Dialogue of Religions: Synergy for the Future," Pope Leo noted that every authentic religious impulse seeks to foster dialogue and cooperation, since they transcend borders and unite people everywhere.

"Working together in harmony is not merely a pragmatic choice, but a reflection of the deeper order of reality," he said.

"Solidarity, then, is synergy in action: the lived expression of loving our neighbor as ourselves on a global scale."

Far from erasing differences, cooperation among religions invites the faithful to embrace diversity as a source of enrichment.

     -     SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL

The Pope recalled that the Second Vatican Council upheld the Catholic Church's acknowledgement and esteem for all that is "true and holy" in other religions, in its 1965 declaration Nostra Aetate.

"[The Church] seeks to foster authentic synergy by bringing the distinct gifts of each tradition to the table of encounter, where each faith contributes its unique wisdom and compassion in service of the common good," he said.

The Pope recalled that his predecessor, Pope Francis, attended the previous Congress in Astana in September 2022, when religious leaders condemned violence and upheld the need to care for refugees and work for peace.

Pope Leo called for leaders of all religions to commit to building a "future of peace, fraternity, and solidarity" by bearing witness to the truth that faith "unites more than it divides."

"Synergy becomes a powerful sign of hope for all humanity, revealing that religion, at its core, is not a source of conflict but a wellspring of healing and reconciliation."

Pope Leo expressed his hope that the interreligious congress will inspire believers to work for harmony and create a "synergy for peace," which is "unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering."

Kazakhstan is the world's ninth biggest country in area and has a population of just over 20 million of whom about 69 percent are muslims and just over 17 percent are Christians, mainly following the Orthodox tradition.