▁divers ity ▁and ▁peace - making ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁an ▁active ▁pro ponent ▁of ▁Catholic - S ikh ▁relations . ▁ ▁Relig ious ▁studies ▁scholar ▁and ▁activ ist ▁Prof . ▁Sim ran ▁Je et ▁Singh ▁said ▁the ▁meeting ▁" align s ▁with ▁the ▁po pe ' s ▁view ▁that ▁faith ▁has ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁bring ▁people ▁together ▁– ▁especially ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁violence ▁and ▁hate , ▁and ▁it ' s ▁also ▁especially ▁meaning ful ▁for ▁those ▁in ▁the ▁minor ity ▁community , ▁such ▁as ▁S ik hs , ▁for ▁whom ▁ 9 / 1 1 ▁was ▁a ▁waters hed ▁moment ▁in ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁way ." ▁ ▁Att itudes ▁about ▁non - bel ie vers ▁Spe aking ▁to ▁journal ists ▁and ▁media ▁employees ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁said ▁he ▁would ▁bless ▁everyone ▁sil ently , ▁" g iven ▁that ▁many ▁of ▁you ▁do ▁not ▁belong ▁to ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church , ▁and ▁others ▁are ▁not ▁bel ie vers ." ▁In ▁his ▁pap al ▁address ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁March , ▁he ▁said ▁the ▁" att empt ▁to ▁eliminate ▁God ▁and ▁the ▁Div ine ▁from ▁the ▁horizon ▁of ▁human ity " ▁resulted ▁in ▁violence , ▁but ▁described ▁as ▁well ▁his ▁feelings ▁about ▁non bel ie vers : ▁"[ W ] e ▁also ▁sense ▁our ▁clos eness ▁to ▁all ▁those ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁who , ▁although ▁not ▁ident ifying ▁themselves ▁as ▁follow ers ▁of ▁any ▁religious ▁tradition , ▁are ▁non eth eless ▁searching ▁for ▁truth , ▁good