“HM the King has proceeded, since His accession to the Throne, to structural reforms, in order to clarify and standardize religious norms and promote tolerance, moderation and Islam of the middle ground,” said the Moroccan ambassador to the Holy See, Rajae Naji Mekkaoui in her speech at the opening of this conference organized in commemoration of the historic visits of the late King Hassan II and HM King Mohammed VI to the Holy See.
“The Sovereign has reiterated, on several occasions, His determination to work, jointly with the Pope, for the enshrining of the noble religious and spiritual values shared by humanity,” said the Moroccan diplomat, noting that the long-standing relations between Morocco and the Holy See, which date back to the 11th century, have been further strengthened by the visit of Pope Francis to Morocco in March 2019.
Naji Mekkaoui recalled that this historic visit, placed under the sign of the promotion of interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding, was marked by the signing by HM King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, and by the Pope, of the Al-Quds Appeal which has “contributed significantly to promoting the values of brotherhood, peace and tolerance”.
She also highlighted the historic visit of the late Pope John Paul II to Morocco in 1985, saying “It is not accidental that the Kingdom is the first Muslim soil visited by a Pontiff”.
Speaking at the meeting organized by the Embassy of Morocco to the Holy See, the Secretary of State at the Vatican Cardinal Pietro Parolin, welcomed the distinguished relations between Morocco and the Holy See, saying that the Kingdom, a “natural bridge between Africa and Europe,” as described by Pope Francis, is an example of interfaith dialogue.
“Morocco is a plural and tolerant country, which has always been a crossroads of civilizations,” he said.
The Archbishop of Rabat, Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, commended, for his part, the contribution of the Kingdom to the promotion of interfaith dialogue and the creation of an environment conducive to coexistence where the spirit of friendship and brotherhood reigns, considering that this is “a very positive feature that gives us the opportunity to live in peace and harmony here on the land of Morocco”.
On the same occasion, the founding president of the Center for Studies and Research on Hebrew Law, Abdellah Ouzitane, said that “we are gathered here, certainly to commemorate the Royal Visits of His Majesty King Hassan II and His Majesty King Mohammed VI, but also to commit ourselves to place all our forces for dialogue and peace”.
Through this initiative, “we contribute to raise interest in understanding the world around us. It is this message of peace that we have come to deliver here in the Vatican, giving education and culture the place of choice that they unanimously deserve”.
This meeting was also marked by the participation of eminent religious, diplomatic and political figures, including the head of the office for Islam at the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Bishop Khaled Akasheh, who, for his part, stressed the unique Moroccan model of coexistence and tolerance.
Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse