The Vaticans Meet the Meccans
November 7, 2008 – 9:27 amFYI - Catholic church invites Muslim leaders to “interreligious” dialogue:
VATICAN CITY - In a bid to improve strained Catholic-Muslim relations, the Vatican hosted scholars, imans and clerics from both religions Tuesday as it opened a three-day religious conference.
The forum aimed to counter the effects of a speech two years ago by Pope Benedict XVI that angered many in the Islamic world.
The meetings will culminate in a papal audience and is intended to help the two faiths find common ground. The closed-door forum, which gathers 29 scholars and clerics from each religion, started Tuesday and will last through Thursday.
The Vatican said in a statement the first day was dedicated to the “spiritual and theological fundamentals” of the two religions, and the second will focus on “human dignity and mutual respect.”
The presence of an archbishop from Iraq suggests that violence targeting Christians in Iraq and other countries could be one topic on the agenda.
The forum was set up in response to a letter written last year by 138 Muslim scholars to Benedict and other Christian leaders urging that Christianity and Islam to build on their common belief in one God.
The Vatican welcomed the letter. It has been eager to improve relations with moderate Islam since Benedict angered many Muslims with a 2006 speech about Islam and violence.
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