The Leader noted that religion is a divine gift, and numerous blessings will be bestowed on a society whose members adhere to religion. He also stressed that promoting religion among the youth is a delicate but rewarding task.
Ayatollah Khamenei also referred to the fact that there are many common points and affinities among divine religions, particularly between Islam and Christianity.
"The dialogue between followers of these two religions, which is held at different conferences, should be aimed at identifying these affinities. We believe these common points include the most important issues of life," he noted.
The Leader went on to say, "Religion does not include only the worship of the Almighty, which differs from religion to religion, but it actually shows to mankind the right way of life and the way to achieve noble objectives. What are the ideals of mankind? What has mankind mostly suffered from during the past centuries? What are the majority of people in the world suffering from today? Finding answers to these questions is not so difficult, and we believe all divine religions have similar views in this regard."
Further in his remarks, the Leader said, "The subject that you brought up at the Vienna Conference a few years ago, that is the issue of justice, is a very important matter. I believe during the past ages mankind has suffered from injustice more than anything else. Man is suffering from injustice even today. Thus, it is very important to know how justice can be administered in the world.
"Another important subject is the issue of the freedom of mankind. This has always been the main concern of mankind. What is the real nature of this freedom and what are its limits? Different religions have expressed various views in this regard, and this is one of those issues that should be expounded by both Islam and Christianity.
"Today, in some parts of the world, nations are deprived of freedom under dictatorships and outside influences. And in other parts of the world, governments allow their people to practice all types of moral laxity and depravity in the name of freedom. Religions consider both to be deviations from the right path. I think Islam and Christianity hold similar views on the freedom of mankind.
"One of the main duties of those who are concerned about the fate of humanity, especially young generation, is to counter rising moral corruption and depravity in the world. In particular, Christian Clergy in Europe shoulders a heavy responsibility in this regard. Some hands have been at work for a long time to spread corruption in society. Therefore, the Christian Church, especially the Catholic Church, should take stronger measures to prevent the spread of corruption. If you counter corruption in Europe, many non-European nations will also be grateful to you, since corruption in one part of the world usually affects other parts of the world too."
As regards promoting religion among the youth, Ayatollah Khamenei stated, "More efforts should be made to attract the youth to religion. We should note that youngsters have a natural inclination for religion and spirituality. But we should also try to create more attractions for them. How is it possible to do so? I, as a clergyman, have learned by experience that there are ways to make religion more attractive to the youth, and I will share this experience with you.
"I believe that if religion defends the oppressed and advocates justice, it will become more attractive to youngsters, since the youth everywhere in the world support movements that are aimed at administering justice. In fact, justice is part of all religions, and the most prominent heroes in the history of mankind who made strenuous efforts to administer justice were religious personalities. Your Prophet struggled for justice during his entire life, and our Prophet also spent his whole life trying to administer justice. Religious books, including the Old and New Testaments and the Qor'an, all recommend and promote justice. If Christian and Muslim clergymen raise the issue of justice today, this will certainly create attraction. Even Jews who believe in the Torah - I do not mean Zionists because they have no faith - advocate justice.
"You can see today how Zionists are treating Muslims and Christians in Palestine. They are treating both Muslims and Christians brutally. Zionists are also committing corrupt acts in Gaza and Al-Khalil and Bait-ul-Moqaddas, which are considered sacred by the followers of all divine religions. I personally believe this cannot go on for long, and the political and economic support extended by some powers to the Zionist regime would not be able to retain this corrupt entity. Today, even some Jews are raising objections to criminal acts of Zionists. We also expect the Catholic Church to protest against such brutal acts."
In conclusion, the Leader once again expressed pleasure over meeting the Archbishop of Austria and other members of his delegation and prayed to the Almighty for more blessings on those who are promoting virtues and righteousness in society.