Pope’s Discourse to the Participants of the Catholic-Islamic Forum
(November 6, 2008) God calls us to work together on behalf of the victims of disease,
hunger, poverty, injustice and violence. For Christians, the love of God is inseparably
bound to the love of our brothers and sisters, of all men and women, without distinction
of race and culture. The Muslim tradition is also quite clear in encouraging practical
commitment in serving the most needy, and readily recalls the “Golden Rule” in its
own version: your faith will not be perfect, unless you do unto others that which
you wish for yourselves, said Pope Benedict XVI. He was addressing the Participants
of the Seminar organized by the “Catholic-Muslim Forum” established between the Pontifical
Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Muslim Leaders at its conclusion on Thursday,
6th of November at the Vatican. The Pope said that this gathering is a
clear sign of the mutual esteem and desire to listen respectfully to one another.
Speaking on the theme of the seminar, “Love of God, Love of Neighbour: The Dignity
of the Human Person and Mutual Respect” – is particularly significant and has evoked
great interest from all. The theme itself highlights even more clearly the theological
and spiritual foundations of a central teaching of our respective religions. It was
out of love that God created the whole universe, and by his love he becomes present
in human history. This infinite and eternal love enables us to respond by giving
all our love in return: love for God and love for neighbour, said the Pope. Then
the Holy father added: “I am well aware that Muslims and Christians have different
approaches in matters regarding God. Yet we can and must be worshippers of the one
God who created us and is concerned about each person in every corner of the world.
Together we must show, by our mutual respect and solidarity, that we consider ourselves
members of one family: the family that God has loved and gathered together from the
creation of the world to the end of human history.” The Pope concluded saying that
he would pray that the “Catholic-Muslim Forum”, now confidently taking its first steps,
can become ever more a space for dialogue, and assist us in treading together the
path to an ever fuller knowledge of Truth.