Vatican– In an extraordinary appeal this week, top religious leaders from across the world called for inter-religious friendships "to counter misperceptions, prejudices and distrust" between peoples. Reaching out to people of other religions can be both challenging and enriching for individuals and is the only hope for true peace in the world, said a variety of religious leaders, including Pope Francis. The pope and his friend Rabbi Abraham Skorka appear in a video montage and together in their own video as part of the "Make Friends" initiative coordinated by the Elijah Interfaith Institute of Dallas. In a three-minute video made in partnership with Twitter, the petitioners — including Pope Francis, Former UK Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the Dalai Lama and Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawki Allam — disseminated their message in 16 different languages.
