What We Believe
We believe in one God:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons living in the unity of love.
We praise God the Father:
in love he created the universe through his eternal Word and Spirit; by his power he sustains and directs it. He has made us his sons and daughters, to share his joy and to live together in peace.
We Confess Jesus Christ, God the Son:
in love, by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became one of us; to fulfill the promise to Israel and to reconcile the world with God. In his life he was obedient to his Father's will; he forgave sinners, brought hope to the lost, healed the sick, and set free those who were oppressed. In his death on the cross he bore the sin of the world; on the third day he was raised from death by the power of God. He triumphed over all the powers of evil; now he reigns in heaven, sharing his risen life with us.
We trust God the Holy Spirit:
in love he calls the Church into being. He unites us to Christ, in whom we are justified. He guides our understanding of the Scriptures, as he also guided and inspired their writers. He sanctifies us in sacraments, and imparts to the faithful the fullness of Christ. He assures us of forgiveness. He empowers us to be disciples, embodying the love of Jesus in the Church and in the world.
We rejoice in the gift of eternal life:
We hope for the coming resurrection, through the resurrection of Christ. We look for his coming again in power and glory, to judge the world and to make all things new. Then all creation shall rejoice in communion with the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit, one God blessed forever.
Amen.
The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.
It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and emphatically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.
We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.
We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.
The Lisbon congregation affirmed the
Charter for Compassion in April 2010.
