Muslims And Catholics Meet

[Luke_Wilbur]

The Joint Committee of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dailogue and the Permanent Committee of Al-Azhar for Dialogue with Monotheistic Religions, established in Rome in 1998 met on the topic, “Avoiding Generalisation in Speaking of the Other’s Religion or Community”. The public session began at the Pontifical Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies. The Committee came into being as the result of a special agreement with Cairo’s Al-Azhar Institute. A statement by Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue said that the joint committee “ provides a forum for exhanges on matters of mutual interests, such as the defence of human dignity and human rights and the promotion of mutual knowledge and respect among Catholics and Muslims.

 

Archbishop Fitzgerald and Sheikh Fawzy al Zafzaf, president of the Al-Azhar Committee are co-presidents of the joint panel. The Committee meets at least once a year, alternately in Cairo and in Rome.