Dialogue between Christians and Muslims is a “vital necessity”, says Pope "'As an example of brotherly respect with which Christians and Muslims can work together,' [the Pope] said, 'I'd like to quote a few words Pope Gregory VII addressed in 1076 to a Muslim prince in North Africa who had been benevolent towards Christians under his rule. Pope Gregory VII spoke of the special charity Christians and Muslims owed each other because 'we believe and confess one God, albeit in different ways. Every day we praise Him and venerate Him as Creator of the centuries and ruler of this world (PL 148, 451).'"
Asia Times, 11.28.06
Church-Islam dialogue: the path starts from Regensburg’s Pope "Benedict XVI’s speech at Regensburg received a lot of criticism but it in fact launched an effective model for Islamo-Christian dialogue: refusal of violence, love of truth, interpretation, mission. The only way to go beyond the trivially tolerant appearance of dialogue promoted by many Muslims and by a good part of the Catholic Church...Benedict XVI seems to suggest to Muslims: we must read the text in its context; and this is fundamental for beginning an Islamo-Christian dialogue. We must reread the sacred texts to see "the circumstances of revelation" In this, the Pope is resuming the healthy tradition of interpretation which was alive in the 9th century. Unfortunately, this no longer occurs in contemporary Islam."
Asia News
Reflections of a British Muslim Extremist “British activist Ed Husain was seduced, at the age of 16, by revolutionary Islamist ideals that flourished at the heart of educated British culture. Yet he later shrank back from radicalism after coming close to a murder and watching people he loved become suicide bombers. He dug deeper into Islamic spirituality, and now offers a fresh and daring perspective on the way forward.” Speaking of Faith
“The very public conversion of high-profile Italian journalist Magdi Allam — who was baptized by Pope Benedict in Rome on Saturday — is only the tip of the iceberg. Indeed, Islamic cleric Ahmad al-Qatani stated on al-Jazeera TV a while back that some six million Muslims convert to Christianity annually, many of them persuaded by Botros’s public ministry… Many Western critics fail to appreciate that, to disempower radical Islam, something theocentric and spiritually satisfying — not secularism, democracy, capitalism, materialism, feminism, etc. — must be offered in its place. The truths of one religion can only be challenged and supplanted by the truths of another. And so Father Zakaria Botros has been fighting fire with fire.”
This is a great article! Thanks to the editors for bringing this important work to our attention. Let us remember to pray for Fr. Botros’ ministry and safety. Does anyone know if he is Catholic or Orthodox? A proper interreligious dialogue definitely requires us to speak with the same language, whether terminology or foreign language. Are the converts entering the Coptic church?
By salindger AT 04.17.08 02:57AM
This is a great article! Thanks to the editors for bringing this important work to our attention. Let us remember to pray for Fr. Botros’ ministry and safety. Does anyone know if he is Catholic or Orthodox? A proper interreligious dialogue definitely requires us to speak with the same language, whether terminology or foreign language. Are the converts entering the Coptic church?