Catholic World News News Feature

Joint Catholic-Islamic commission issues statement June 16, 2008

A joint Islamic-Catholic Liaison Committee met in Rome on June 11-13, and released a statement concluding that authentic religious practice can "effectively contribute in promoting brotherhood and harmony in the human family."

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, co-chaired the 3-day meeting along with Professor Hamid bin Ahmad Al-Rifaie, the president of the International Islamic Forum for Dialogue, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This was the 14th meeting of the joint committee.

The sessions ended with a statement in which both Catholic and Muslim delegates affirmed the dignity of the human person, the commitment to justice and peace, and the shared belief "that God is compassionate and therefore they consider it their duty to show compassion towards every human person, especially the needy and the weak." The group strongly condemned the use of religious sentiment to incite violence.

Pope Benedict XVI met with the participants in a private audience and "encouraged them to continue their endeavors for the promotion of justice and peace."