Religions should promote peace, not violence, Vatican cardinal says at Muslim interreligious summit
August 29, 2025
Cardinal George Koovakad, the prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, took part in the Second International Summit of Religious Leaders, an August 28 gathering in Malaysia organized by the nation’s prime minister and the Muslim World League.
“Let us be clear: religious leaders must never incite hatred,” Cardinal Koovakad said in his address. “We must never promote, justify, or condone violence. Our calling is higher: to prevent evil, resolve disputes, and heal divisions. We must always encourage nonviolent solutions to conflicts. Only then can we build a world worthy of our common humanity.”
We must “honestly acknowledge,” the prelate added, “that within our traditions there are individuals and groups who, in the name of religion, have sown division, committed violence, and caused destruction,” or have distorted “scripture, tradition, and history to justify violence,” depriving “others of their legitimate rights, including religious freedom.”
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia delivered the summit’s keynote address. Islam is the official religion of the Southeast Asian nation (map).
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