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The Associated Press
Thursday, November 29, 2007; 3:50 PM VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI has replied to a letter from Muslim
scholars, stressing the need for dialogue between Islam and Catholicism
and saying he would be willing to meet Muslim representatives, the
Vatican said Thursday.
The pope expressed "deep appreciation for this gesture, for the positive
spirit which inspired the text (of the letter) and for the call for a
common commitment to forge a lasting religious union for promoting peace
and prosperity in the world." The October letter by 138 Muslim scholars urges Catholics and Muslims to
develop their common ground of belief in one God and to form a One World
religious identity. Among those signing were Muslim leaders from Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Europe and the United States. "Without ignoring or downplaying our differences as Catholics and
Muslims, we can and therefore should look to what unites us, namely,
belief in the one God," the pope said in his reply, which was sent via
the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. "Such common ground allows us to base dialogue on effective respect for
the dignity of every human person, on objective knowledge of the
religion of the other, on the sharing of religious experience and,
finally, on common commitment to promoting mutual respect and acceptance
among the younger generation," Benedict said. The message said the pope was confident that cooperation would then
become possible in such areas as culture and the promotion of justice
and peace. The Vatican has been trying to improve relations with Muslims after
remarks by Benedict in 2006 about Islam and violence angered Muslims. The pope said he was willing to receive Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammed of
Jordan, the monarch's special adviser on religious matters, to whom the
note is addressed, as well as a restricted group of the letter's
signatories. Benedict also suggested that a working meeting be organized between the
Vatican's office in charge of interfaith dialogue and a Muslim
delegation be organized.
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