Catholic-majority Timor-Leste will be the first country in the world to adopt a papal-endorsed document promoting peace and harmony between Christians and Muslims.
All 60 parliamentarians at the plenary session on May 12 agreed to the adoption of the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together that President-elect Jose Ramos-Horta hopes to implement in the school curriculum to maintain interfaith harmony and peace.
Ramos-Horta has actively lobbied lawmakers for its adoption. He also discussed it with former prime minister Mari Alkatiri, a Muslim, during their meeting on April 28.
“Timor-Leste will be the first country in the world to adopt the document into the school curriculum,” he said. “It will teach school children about religion, ethnicity, social class and political tolerance in society,”
Ramos-Horta said it was important for Timor-Leste as a Catholic-majority country in Asia to maintain its reputation “as a country free from religiously motivated violence.”
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With thanks to Union of Catholic Asian (UCA) News, where this article originally appeared.
