Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone relayed a “cordial greeting and expression of appreciation” from Pope Benedict XVI to Cardinal Vinko Puljic and the participants of the XXVI International Meeting for Peace organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio, which opened today in Sarajevo. The message, dated September 4, 2012 from Castel Gandolfo, begins with a reference to the dramatic events experienced twenty years ago by the inhabitants of the capital of Bosnia Herzegovina. One answer to that tragedy and to analogous situations – the Holy Father’s thoughts go particularly to the Middle East and to his forthcoming trip to Lebanon, is precisely a “common pilgrimage towards peace”. “Today a message of peace wants to come from Sarajevo – continues the note - …Peace must be supported by hearts and minds that search for the truth….with hope and commitment”. “The long experience of dialogue occurring in the international meetings promoted by Sant’Egidio proves that the culture of confrontation is fallacious…Opening ourselves to others, offering ourselves to others, can be a gift. This awareness has to spread in the consciences of men and peoples”. “The Holy Father, while relaying a wish for a successful meeting, spiritually joins all those present at the event, in the certainty that the Lord…will continue to guide us on the path to peace and convergence between peoples, blessing all of our endeavors”