"An Agreement with al-Azhar: Christians and Sunni Muslims Have Created a Liaison Committee"
Le Figaro, June 1, 1998
An agreement creating a liaison committee between Christians and Muslims has been concluded at the Vatican between the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and the Permanent Committee of Al-Azhar for Dialogue with the Monotheistic Religions.
On the part of the Vatican, the agreement was signed by Cardinal Francis Arinze and Father Michael Fitzgerald, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council; and from the Muslim side, Sheikh Fawzi al-Zafzaf, Wakil (number two) of the University of Al-Azhar, and Dr. Aly El-Samman, vice-president of the Committee. The Cairo University of Al-Azhar, with it's 10th-century mosque, is the highest authority of Sunni Islam.
The idea to create a committee was initiated in April of 1978 during a meeting in Cairo. Article 2 directly condemns religious fanaticism, "in order to see that the religions play their rightful role in human societies for the promotion of fraternity, solidarity, co-operation, justice and peace, for the resolution of questions touching upon the welfare of humanity as a whole, and in order to fight together against religious fanaticism as an expression of exclusion and a source of hatred, violence and terrorism."
Father Fitzgerald believes that the Committee addresses a common concern, "to preserve religious values and morals, not against secularity, but against extreme libertinism." He believes that for an identical agreement to be signed with Shiite Muslims, which possess other kinds of institutions, "the request must come from them, especially since Iran desires dialogue, and not only with Catholics."
During the audience that he granted the Committee, John Paul II declared, "Today, dialogue between our two religions is more necessary than ever." He added that he had confidence that the members of the Committee "give the best of themselves in sincerity and truth."
Le Figaro, June 1, 1998
An agreement creating a liaison committee between Christians and Muslims has been concluded at the Vatican between the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and the Permanent Committee of Al-Azhar for Dialogue with the Monotheistic Religions.
On the part of the Vatican, the agreement was signed by Cardinal Francis Arinze and Father Michael Fitzgerald, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council; and from the Muslim side, Sheikh Fawzi al-Zafzaf, Wakil (number two) of the University of Al-Azhar, and Dr. Aly El-Samman, vice-president of the Committee. The Cairo University of Al-Azhar, with it's 10th-century mosque, is the highest authority of Sunni Islam.
The idea to create a committee was initiated in April of 1978 during a meeting in Cairo. Article 2 directly condemns religious fanaticism, "in order to see that the religions play their rightful role in human societies for the promotion of fraternity, solidarity, co-operation, justice and peace, for the resolution of questions touching upon the welfare of humanity as a whole, and in order to fight together against religious fanaticism as an expression of exclusion and a source of hatred, violence and terrorism."
Father Fitzgerald believes that the Committee addresses a common concern, "to preserve religious values and morals, not against secularity, but against extreme libertinism." He believes that for an identical agreement to be signed with Shiite Muslims, which possess other kinds of institutions, "the request must come from them, especially since Iran desires dialogue, and not only with Catholics."
During the audience that he granted the Committee, John Paul II declared, "Today, dialogue between our two religions is more necessary than ever." He added that he had confidence that the members of the Committee "give the best of themselves in sincerity and truth."