change language
you are in: home - ecumenis...dialogue - internat...or peace - sarajevo 2012 newslettercontact uslink

Support the Community

  

Let us help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

The Community of Sant'Egidio launches a fundraising campaign to send humanitarian aid to the refugee camps in Bangladesh, in collaboration with the local Church

Christmas Lunch with the poor: let's prepare a table table that reaches the whole world

The book "The Christmas Lunch" available online for free. DOWNLOAD! And prepare Christmas with the poor


 
printable version
September 10 2012 16:30 | Hanika Hall (close to Gazi Husrev-begova medresa)

Intervention of Kayaki



Kansho Kayaki


Tendai Buddhism, Japan

I’m delighted to participate in the Prayers for Peace which is hosted by the Community of Sant’ Egidio. It is also such an honor for me to give a speech at the meeting in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 

This is my first visit to Sarajevo.  I recall that in 1992 a war broke out in Bosnia, a conflict between ethnic groups and religions, and it resulted in the tragedy of ethnic cleansing.  The war which lasted for three years came to an end in December, 1995 as a result of international mediation. However, it produced Bosnia and Herzegovina, a complicated establishment of one nation where two countries coexist within a national boundary.  One is the republic of Bosniaks and Croats and the other is a nation of Serbians.
It is said that the Bosnian War came about because of differences between ethnic and religious groups. When we think about the fact that under the Republic of Yugoslavia, those people maintained a peaceful existence for fifty years; it seems that the cause of conflict was not due to the ethnicity or religion, but due to a nationalism that stirred up people’s dissatisfaction and discontent created by the worsening of economic situations.
 

The theme given to me for this speech is ‘The “Spirit of Assisi” in the East: Japanese Religions on the Path of Dialogue.’ 
In 1986 Prayer for World Peace was started in Assisi as a response to a call to world religious leaders by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II. In order to continue that spirit, the following year, in August of 1987, we requested world religious leaders gather on the top of Mt. Hiei and we held a Religious Summit Meeting. We prayed for peace and promised to work with people for the attainment of peace. This year marks the 25th anniversary from that time.  We held a commemorative event with “Raging Natural Disasters and the Role of Religious Leaders” as this year’s theme.
At the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake, you sent us warm, heartfelt words for the victims. I’d like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciations to all of you. Moreover, Secretary-General Professor Alberto Quattrucci and Professor Agostino Giovagnoli, Head of Department of Asian Relation, came to Japan and attended the 25th anniversary event. I’d like to express our gratitude again for their participations.
 

The environments of Assisi where the first Prayers for Peace was held and Mt. Hiei of Japan are very similar. First of all, they are surrounded by abundant nature. The next is that like St. Francis of Assisi who sacrificed everything and devoted himself to God, monks at Mt. Hiei value renunciation for training and practices.
People are affected by their environment. Dengyo Daishi, the founder of Tendai Buddhism in Japan, said, “For training and practices, it is important that where one’s body, heart-mind resides, must be right, but the environment is more important. Living in this mountain helps you to keep the precepts.” He meant that Mt. Hiei is the appropriate place for training practices and it assist one to keep the precepts and makes one’s heart-mind purified. I think Assisi must also be place like Mt. Hiei and that is why His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, chose this location as the first place for prayers.
 

Back in 2007, we invited children from the Community Garden in Bosnia to the 20th anniversary of Religious Summit Meeting on Mt. Hiei. Among them, there was a girl named Sadzida. She said, “I don’t want anyone to use guns and drugs. I do hope for a society in which everyone will be free and live happily with other people.” In spite of the differences between East and West, I believe the spirit of Assisi is to pursue what Sadzida said and make that happen.


Thank you very much for listening.

Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI

Programme in English
PDF

BROADCAST LIVE PROGRAMME

RELATED NEWS
October 11 2017
HAVANA, CUBA

Religions gather in Havana to open Paths of Peace in Cuba


The interreligious meeting of prayer for peace organized by Sant'Egidio in the Caribbean State
IT | EN | ES | DE | NL | ID
September 25 2017
JOS, NIGERIA

The Spirit of Assisi in Nigeria: in Jos Christians and Muslims in dialogue to open new Paths of Peace


After Münster, the meetings of prayer and inter-religious dialogue promoted by Sant'Egidio in Africa
IT | EN | ES | DE | CA
September 22 2017
MÜNSTER, GERMANY

Paths of Peace: textes, videos and news of the International Meeting of prayer for peace of Münster

IT | EN | ES | FR | CA
September 14 2017

At the Roots of Terrorism. VIDEO


#Pathsofpeace
IT | EN | FR
September 12 2017
MÜNSTER, GERMANY

#pathsofpeace: world religions launch a movement to prevent conflicts. Next year's appointment in Bologna

IT | EN | NL
September 12 2017
OSNABRÜCK, GERMANY

Closing ceremony of Paths of Peace: all the interventions

IT | EN | ES | DE | CA | NL
all related news

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
December 26 2017

Look at the world map enlightened by the Christmas lunches

IT | EN | ES | DE | FR | PT | CA | NL

ASSOCIATED PRESS
February 23 2018
Domradio.de
"Wir können Frieden organisieren wie andere den Krieg"
February 1 2018
SIR
50° Comunità Sant’Egidio: Hilarion (Patriarcato di Mosca), “la nostra una collaborazione che ha dato tanti buoni frutti”
January 30 2018
Vaticannews
Corridoi umanitari: la collaborazione ecumenica via della speranza
January 26 2018
POW - Pressestelle des Ordinariates Würzburg
Angst und Lethargie überwinden
January 15 2018
Roma sette
Ecumenismo, in processione con anglicani, luterani e ortodossi
all press-related

BOOKS
Religions and Violence



Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
Making Peace



New City
more books


FOLLOW LIVE THE EVENT
Sarajevo 2012