Agreement between the Vatican and Al-Azhar Joint Committee for Dialogue
Vatican City - May 28, 1998
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AGREEMENT between the Pontifical Council For Interreligious Dialogue (Vatican City) and the Permanent Committee of Al-Azhar for Dialogue with the Monotheistic Religions (Cairo) for the Creation of a Joint Committee for Dialogue
Vatican City, 28 May, 1998/3 Safar, 1419
Given the importance of promoting accurate knowledge of the religions and for each religion to have a correct understanding of the beliefs and practices of the other religion;
In order to see that the religious play their rightful role in human societies for the promotion of fraternity, solidarity, cooperation, 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;
Taking into consideration the important place of al-Azhar, its history and its privileged role at the scientific and moral levels in Muslim society, and the particular role of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in the Catholic Church;
As an expression of the firm desire of the two parties to strengthen the relations already existing within the framework of different contacts established – such as the visit to al-Azhar of a delegation from the then Secretariat for Non Christians, 11-14 April 1978; the letters exchanged, and in particular the letter of H.E Cardinal Arinze, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, addressed to H.E. Sheikh al-Azhar on 21 February 1996, in which mention is made of the Conference which took place at the Sorbonne, Paris, in June 1994, organized by the Association pour le Dialogue Islamo-Chrétien (ADIC), and of the necessity of presenting to Christians the true face of Islam and to Muslims the true face of Christianity; as also the letter of al-Azhar dated 25 February 1997; the conversations and colloquia in which representatives of the two bodies have taken part – so as to promote dialogue in order to eliminate the calumnies and the vain accusations levelled against the religions and to increase the positive results heretofore obtained;
The two parties have come to an agreement to create a joint Committee between the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims, depending on the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and the Special Commission of al-Azhar al-Sharif for Dialogue with Catholic Christians.
The Joint Committee will engage in the research of common values, the promotion of justice and peace, and the promotion of respect for the religions; it will foster exchanges on subjects of common interest such as the defense of human dignity and human rights; it will promote mutual understanding and respect between Catholics and Muslims through the exchange of necessary information.
The Joint Committee will, moreover, pay particular attention to the role of religious leaders in the promotion of these values.
The Joint Committee will establish its own working method and determine the way of achieving its goals.
The Joint Committee will be presided over by H.E. the President of the pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and H.E. the Sheikh Wakil al-Azhar, in addition to the two Presidents, the Committee will be composed, on each side, of a Co-Secretary and a maximum of three other members. The Presidents of both parties of the joint Committee can appoint delegates to replace them in presiding over the meetings. Each party will compose its delegation for each meeting, with the possibility of calling upon experts according to the nature of the matters to be discussed; each party will inform the other in advance of the composition of its delegation.
The Joint Committee will meet at least once a year, alternately in Cairo and in Rome. Each delegation will cover its own expenses for travelling and board and lodging. Each of the Presidents has the right to suggest that other meetings be held, at the level of Presidents, or for the preparation of such meetings, as circumstances require. In this case agreement will be reached through contact between the Presidents and with their consent. The proposed agenda will be prepared through these contacts, care being taken to use adequate means.
At the end of each meeting a press release will be published. The text of the communiqué must have the approbation of the Committee before being published. No information will be communicated regarding the papers presented to the joint Committee without the agreement of both parties.
Vatican City, 28 May, 1998/3 Safar, 1419
Given the importance of promoting accurate knowledge of the religions and for each religion to have a correct understanding of the beliefs and practices of the other religion;
In order to see that the religious play their rightful role in human societies for the promotion of fraternity, solidarity, cooperation, 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;
Taking into consideration the important place of al-Azhar, its history and its privileged role at the scientific and moral levels in Muslim society, and the particular role of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in the Catholic Church;
As an expression of the firm desire of the two parties to strengthen the relations already existing within the framework of different contacts established – such as the visit to al-Azhar of a delegation from the then Secretariat for Non Christians, 11-14 April 1978; the letters exchanged, and in particular the letter of H.E Cardinal Arinze, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, addressed to H.E. Sheikh al-Azhar on 21 February 1996, in which mention is made of the Conference which took place at the Sorbonne, Paris, in June 1994, organized by the Association pour le Dialogue Islamo-Chrétien (ADIC), and of the necessity of presenting to Christians the true face of Islam and to Muslims the true face of Christianity; as also the letter of al-Azhar dated 25 February 1997; the conversations and colloquia in which representatives of the two bodies have taken part – so as to promote dialogue in order to eliminate the calumnies and the vain accusations levelled against the religions and to increase the positive results heretofore obtained;
The two parties have come to an agreement to create a joint Committee between the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims, depending on the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and the Special Commission of al-Azhar al-Sharif for Dialogue with Catholic Christians.
The Joint Committee will engage in the research of common values, the promotion of justice and peace, and the promotion of respect for the religions; it will foster exchanges on subjects of common interest such as the defense of human dignity and human rights; it will promote mutual understanding and respect between Catholics and Muslims through the exchange of necessary information.
The Joint Committee will, moreover, pay particular attention to the role of religious leaders in the promotion of these values.
The Joint Committee will establish its own working method and determine the way of achieving its goals.
The Joint Committee will be presided over by H.E. the President of the pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and H.E. the Sheikh Wakil al-Azhar, in addition to the two Presidents, the Committee will be composed, on each side, of a Co-Secretary and a maximum of three other members. The Presidents of both parties of the joint Committee can appoint delegates to replace them in presiding over the meetings. Each party will compose its delegation for each meeting, with the possibility of calling upon experts according to the nature of the matters to be discussed; each party will inform the other in advance of the composition of its delegation.
The Joint Committee will meet at least once a year, alternately in Cairo and in Rome. Each delegation will cover its own expenses for travelling and board and lodging. Each of the Presidents has the right to suggest that other meetings be held, at the level of Presidents, or for the preparation of such meetings, as circumstances require. In this case agreement will be reached through contact between the Presidents and with their consent. The proposed agenda will be prepared through these contacts, care being taken to use adequate means.
At the end of each meeting a press release will be published. The text of the communiqué must have the approbation of the Committee before being published. No information will be communicated regarding the papers presented to the joint Committee without the agreement of both parties.
