Skopje, 23 December 2023 (MIA) – Instead of exhausting ourselves through ideological and cultural wars, let’s come together in our efforts to create a just and humane society with clear morals. In that way, not only will we overcome the agony and mitigate the crisis, but we will also restore hope under the Macedonian sky, said President Stevo Pendarovski in his address at a reception Friday evening for churches, religious communities and groups hosted by the Commission for Relations with Religious Communities and Religious Groups ahead of New Year’s.

Coexistence, said the President, isn’t built only through the exchange of courteous messages and greetings, but above all, through personal relationships and friendships.

“Through the cooperation within the Inter-religious Council, through the group for friendship between the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric and the Islamic Religious Communities, you provide the best protection to coexistence from the provocations of individuals with bad intentions. By doing so, you are providing an example to the entire Macedonian society, that we can live together despite our differences in religion and beliefs,” said Pendarovski.

According to the President, a question for every single citizen is how to escape the agony of hopelessness and restore hope in Macedonian society.

“The religious communities and groups are a part of the solution to this burning issue. In a secular country, like ours, the religious communities can’t sanction corruption, nor is this their task. But, the religious communities can do something more important – by appealing to conscience and insisting on personal integrity, the religious communities can develop good habits in the hearts of the faithful. By doing so, they can create a critical mass of spiritually transformed individuals who will transform the spirit of society and make corruption, at least for some believers, unacceptable, and even repulsive,” said the President.

Pendarovski also highlighted the institutional support from the Commission for Relations with Religious Communities and Religious Groups, which, according to him, plays an indispensable role in helping bridge divisions in society, and seeking points of connection, thereby fostering a culture of religious tolerance and respect for religious diversity.

Photo: MIA