The Islamic- Catholic Liaison Commission concludes meeting

(June 26, 2013) The Islamic-Catholic Liaison Committee held its 19th Meeting ín Rome, on June 18 and 19. It was presided over for the Catholic side by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and for the Muslim side by Prof. Dr Hamid bin Ahmad Al-Rifaie, President of the International Islamic Forum for Dialogue. The theme of the meeting was: “ Believers confronting materialism and secularism in society.”
After listening to the papers presented by Catholic and Muslim scholars and exchanging vìews, the participants agreed upon the following - that Christianity and Islam affirm the inseparability and complementarity between the material and the spiritual domains. They said their responsibility as believers is to reconcile these dimensions of life. Next they said that many people today suffer from the loss of spiritual and religious roots, which weakens both the inner and moral dimensions of individuals and societies. Noting that the world today is suffering from various crises, they said it is their common responsibility to do all that is possible to protect vulnerable people at this time, and they strongly condemned the violence in Syria. The participants said they were honoured and pleased to be received in audience by Pope Francis, who encouraged them to continue their efforts on the path of respectful and fruitful dialogue between believers for the peace and prosperity of our world. The Committee will hold its next meeting in Tatwan - Marocco.