Islamic scholars are to meet Vatican officials for the first time since warning the Pope that world survival was at stake if Muslims and Christians could not make peace with each other.
The delegation, comprising four academics and theologians, will arrive in Rome on March 3 to discuss A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter sent to the Pope last October urging him and other Christian leaders to unite on the shared essentials of the two faiths. It used quotations from the Bible and the Qur'an to illustrate the similarities between the religions, and drew 138 signatures, many from grand muftis each representing tens of millions of Muslims.
Aref Ali Nayed, a Libyan scholar in the delegation, said the summit would confirm arrangements for an audience with the Pope. "He is not just a religious leader, he is a theologian and scholar and we will meet him on those terms," he said.
Nayed will meet Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, a body dedicated to improving relations with Muslims. The two clashed recently after the cardinal said that real theological debate with Muslims was difficult as they saw the Qur'an as the literal word of God and would not discuss it in depth. At the time Nayed said the comment was "disappointing".
He was, however, more optimistic about the Vatican trip, saying: "We will go there with hope and an open mind."
Interestingly, since the Note on Evangelization came out, we're seeing more stories like this one. I will be interested in following this to see its outcome. I am also intrigued with the assertion that theological debate of any depth is difficult with Muslims on account of their seeing the Qur'an as the literal word of God. It's kind of like debating with Christian fundamentalists I suppose. Also intriguing is that Nayed says he will go to the Vatican with an open mind.
I just read something about the modified prayer for the Jews, which will be read on Good Friday. The person writing was a priest, who was a bit irritated about it. Maybe in another post, you can explain it..and maybe how you feel about it?
As for dialog with the Muslims, I believe the greatest thing is that they actually wrote a letter to the Pope, which means they are really worried about it. That is a great sign. But I am not so optimistic about the response, not so much from the muslims' side, but from ours.
Posted by: Pia | February 22, 2008 at 12:51 AM
"Our side," however, is Jesus Christ's Truth. It'd be interesting to hear what He (as well as His millions of martyrs and/or otherwise fellow persecuted) may or may not find compromisable for the sake of not "disappointing".. There is a great lesson in St. Francis in how to love all others while neither risking nor losing anything of Christ's Testament into which all the ends of the earth are to be invited.
As for meeting Benedict XVI not as Pope, but as "theologian and scholar," I'm perhaps not so oddly reminded of the fruit of the meeting of Bush (and others) who also did not meet Christ's Vicar as Christ's Vicar; a pope's systolic/diastolic is shared by two. He is far more than a leader of morals and mores in this world.
Posted by: JustMe | February 22, 2008 at 07:42 AM
If both sides are serious about peace and uniting on shared essentials, I hope they begin with the Virgin Mary. She is apparently the only woman who is named in the Koran, and not less than thirty times. Muslims love her dearly, and I read that so many Muslims go to the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima that the Portuguese officials don't know how to handle the logistics. Peace and unity will only come to our world through Our Blessed Mother.
Posted by: Gabrielle | February 24, 2008 at 12:26 AM
Which a Fifth Marian dogma would expedite.
Posted by: JustMe | February 25, 2008 at 01:52 AM