Henri Antoine Marie Teissier Quotes

We are happy that God has given us a common mission here in Algeria. And this mission is all the more important at a time when the pressure of globalisation comes up against reaffirmation of the specific identity of different civilisations, nations and cultures. We are convinced that by means of the "sacrament of encounter" we are called to operate together with our Muslim friends in their diversity, welcoming those among them who wish to have a better understanding of who we are.

For the poorest of the poor the Church is Mother, the Church is the bearer of a message of peace and love. We hope the new Pontiff will continue with interreligious dialogue, to have special relationship with young people and to fight against secularisation. In Algeria Catholics live in a difficult context but we offer our contribution towards building harmony among the peoples and the religions of the world.

We are also in the Arab world, which has its specific problems, and it seems important to us that the universal Church pause to take into account in a truly particular way the problems of Christians who are minorities in the Arab world, beginning with those in the Middle East.

The Islamic-Christian dialogue may appear overcome when Islamic movements in certain Muslim countries stir up armed groups and set up their followers against whoever does not share their ideas. The Church of Algeria is undergoing a trial of this kind. Fidelity to their vocation - in a difficult context - as priests, religious brothers, religious sisters and lay missionaries shows that this development of fundamentalist movements of Islam does not justify abandoning dialogue.