LAHORE, Pakistan, SEPT. 24, 2001 (Zenit.org).- The Pope's trip to Kazakhstan is lifting hopes in Pakistan.
"By his friendly visit to a Muslim country, he is [building] a bridge between the two great religions, in a moment when relations between them have become very tense," Metropolitan Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha told the Misna missionary agency.
"[At] this critical time, his visit is a beacon of hope. His positive call for a solution without violence and bloodshed is surely one that echoes the feelings in our hearts," said the archbishop, who is chairman of the Pakistani bishops' National Peace and Justice Commission.
Archbishop Saldanha recalled that the Holy Father's visit to the Damascus mosque in May was "very well appreciated by the Muslim clerics in Pakistan."
ZEN - Zenit
24. september 2001