On pope's message

I commend Pope Benedict XVI for his message on Saturday, Aug. 20 to Muslims in Germany calling on Christianity and Islam to work together to end terrorism, which he said represented "the darkness of a new barbarism".

The recent chain of blind violence we are witnessing around the world is the result of scandalous injustices and imbalances that create conditions favoring an uncontrollable explosion of the desire for revenge.

When fundamental rights are violated, it is easy to fall prey to temptations of hatred and violence. Nonetheless, we must keep in check our base impulses and together work to build a global culture of solidarity that restores hope in the future to the young.

The Pope said: "Terrorism of any kind is a perverse and cruel decision, which shows contempt for the sacred right to life and undermines the very foundation of all civil society ... If together we can succeed in eliminating from our hearts any trace of rancor, in resisting every form of intolerance and in opposing every manifestation of violence, we will turn back the wave of cruel fanaticism that endangers the lives of so many people."

Dialog between Christians and Muslims is a vital necessity for our future. As the Pope stated: "If we can continue to coexist in dialog, it will send a signal that the theory of a 'clash of cultures' is baseless," adding that "the more religious and cultural communities can learn about one another, the more they will realize that there is no reason for hostility."

PAUL KOKOSKI Hamilton, Canada