Thursday, February 14, 2019

Pope Francis Addresses a Document on Human Fraternity For World Peace and Living Together


2019-02-10

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The brief visit of Pope Francis to the United Arab Emirates (February 2-5, 2019) is an extremely significant event. This is the first time that a Pope has visited the Arabian Peninsula, which is the birth place of the Muslim faith. Of note, during the trip Pope Francis celebrated an outdoor Mass with over 140,000 in attendance and signed a joint statement with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, one of the highest authorities in Sunni Islam. This statement, A Document on Human Fraternity For World Peace and Living Together, is addressed to all persons, both religious and nonreligious, and extends to them an invitation to work together to promote a culture of mutual respect and coexistence. This is not a theological document even though it speaks about God. It is more of a declaration of the need to reject violent extremism and embrace a spirit of fraternity. This is a very positive development regarding the Catholic-Muslim dialogue. Deo Gratias!

You can read Pope Francis’ Statement at http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/travels/2019/outside/documents/papa-francesco_20190204_documento-fratellanza-umana.html




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