The Pope spoke forcefully against invoking the name of God in any religion "to justify evil and violence".
"Faced with a world lacerated by conflict, where violence is still justified in the name of God, it is important to reiterate that religions must never become a vehicle of hatred," the Pontiff said.
Pope Benedict XVI condemned anti-Christian violence, persecution and discrimination, along with all religious intolerance, in a New Year's appeal that came just hours after a bomb exploded outside a Coptic church in Alexandria, Egypt as worshippers left Mass, killing more than 20 people.
In addition to appeals to political leaders to take concrete steps to end religious discrimination, the Holy Father issued an invitation to leaders of all the world’s religions to meet with him in Assisi this coming October to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1stWorld Day of Prayer for Peace.
In his homily during Mass to mark the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and again in remarks at the Angelus address, Pope Benedict XVI condemned all manner of religious intolerance, and especially anti-Christian prejudice, while pointing to authentic religious freedom as the essential core of ordered liberty.
“On this day, too, we pray especially for peace throughout the world, and I invite all of you to join in heartfelt prayer to Christ the Prince of Peace for an end to violence and conflict wherever they are found.”
In his homily at St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope exhorted all the Christian faithful to remain strong in the face of discrimination and intolerance, calling on world leaders to make a “concrete and constant commitment” to help guarantee authentic religious freedom, and stressing once again as he had in his Peace Day message, that religious freedom is the essential element of the rule of law.
This is while a bomb explosion outside an Egyptian church killed at least 22 people as worshippers were leaving a mass on Saturday 1st of January 2011.
The move has been severely condemned by Muslims and Christians alike.
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