UNESCO Director-General pays homage to Pope John Paul II as a champion of inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue

UNESCO Press Release:

"UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura today expressed his profound sadness over the death of Pope John Paul II, whom he described as a 'spiritual guide (who) placed his extraordinary energy, charisma and eloquence at the service of peace and inter-religious dialogue.' 'John Paul II was firm in his convictions and expressed his profound faith while all the while encouraging dialogue. From the ecumenical encounters in Assisi to his day of fasting coinciding in 2001 with the end of Ramadan, and his visit in 1986 to a synagogue in Rome, the Pontiff worked unceasingly to promote dialogue between different religions.'"