Muslim-Catholic forum begins in Rome

[cathopologist]

The first gathering of Vatican and Islamic scholars is to focus on religious harmony and freedom
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5088716.ece
Yesterday leading Vatican and Muslim scholars gathered for the first the Catholic-Muslim Forum, a new initiative founded to improve relations between Christianity and Islam.
The aim of the three-day seminar, which ends tomorrow, is to discuss points of unity and division in Roman Catholicism and Islam.

Interfaith relations hit an impasse two years ago following a speech by Pope Benedict XVI in which he cited a Byzantine emperor whose words appeared to imply that Islam was a violent, irrational religion. In response, 138 Muslim scholars wrote a letter inviting the Christian community to new dialogue.
Their statement, “A Common Word”, argued that both Christianity and Islam share common principles, such as love of God and neighbour.

The Rome meeting is to be the first in a series held by the permanent Catholic-Muslim forum. It was opened yesterday by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Mustafa Ceric, the Grand Mufti of Bosnia. Cardinal Tauran hailed the meeting as “ a new chapter” in the long history of frequently tense relations between Catholicism and Islam. Just over half the world’s two billion Christians are Roman Catholics, and recently for the first time the number of Muslims worldwide - 1.3 billion - began to outnumber Roman Catholics.

Muslim scholars attending the meeting which will focus on religious harmony, include the Swiss Muslim Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Islamic Studies at Oxford, who is often dubbed “Islam’s Luther” for his controversial views. The Rt Rev Louis Sako, Chaldean bishop of Kirkuk, Northern Iraq is also attending.

Today’s meetings – which like all during the seminar are closed - will involve discussion on religious freedom.
Delegates are expected to meet Pope Benedict XVI tomorrow.

 

[cathopologist]

VATICAN Catholic-Muslim Seminar Opens In Vatican, Aiming For Peace
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On the final day, participants are scheduled to have an audience with Pope Benedict and a public session at Pontifical Gregorian University, where a joint declaration is due be read out.

French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the pontifical council and former Vatican secretary for relations with states, or “foreign minister,” heads the Catholic side. Participants from the council also include Indonesian Divine Word Father Markus Solo, desk officer for Christian-Muslim dialogue in Asia. Other members include Bishop Andrew Francis of Multan, Pakistan, and three Jesuits known as close to Pope Benedict: Spanish Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Fathers Christian Troll from Germany and Samir Khalil Samir from Lebanon.

Mustafa Ceric, grand mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina, leads the Muslim representatives from countries including Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The three Asian members, not including West Asia, are Din Syamsuddin, president of Muhammadiyah

Theological and Spiritual Foundations of Love of God, Love of Neighbor**Human Dignity and Mutual Respect](http://www.ucanews.com/2008/11/04/catholic-muslim-seminar-opens-in-vatican-aiming-for-peace/) Click on excerpt to read full article.

 

[cathopologist]

Catholic-Muslim forum calls for religious freedom of choice

[Top Muslim and Roman Catholic clerics and scholars have made a declaration to accept the right of individuals to have freedom to practice their religion of choice.

Participants of the Catholic-Muslim Forum’s first seminar, being held at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, have spelt out the results of their three day long talks in a 15-point document.

A representative of the Muslim side in the talks, the Islamic Society of North America President Ingrid Mattison, said she believed “God’s hand” had guided the forum’s work as it tried to overcome some of the tensions between Christians and Muslims.

"We feel shame that our faiths are cited as a reason or as a justification for many violent conflicts around the world,” Mattison said.

For the Catholic side, the Catholic Institute of Paris’ Joseph Maila, recalled how during earlier sessions participants exchanged their life experiences drawn from the communities in which they lived.

“Some of our Muslim brethren spoke of the pains they suffered related to Islamophobia, while we talked of our pain for sometimes being branded as Crusaders,” Maila said.

The Forum resolved to continue contacts and to hold a second seminar in 2010 in a Muslim-majority country yet to be determined.

Earlier Thursday, Pope Benedict XVI and the head of the Muslim delegation, the Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Shaykh Mustafa Ceric, clasped hands and then hugged each other as they met Forum participants.

Benedict told the audience: “Political and religious leaders have the duty of ensuring the free exercise of these rights in full respect for each individual’s freedom of conscience and freedom of religion.”

The forum included representatives from the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Western nations.](http://www.tajikistannews.net/story/427177)

Catholic-Muslim forum condemns religious terrorism
The first Catholic-Muslim meeting at the Vatican ended with a statement recognising freedom of conscience

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[cathopologist]

Final declaration from Catholic-Muslim Forum

*Source: VIS *