Rome’s chief rabbi, Muslim spokesman react positively to Pope’s comments on dialogue

November 25, 2008

The chief rabbi of Rome, Riccardo Di Segni, has praised Pope Benedict’s recent comments on interfaith dialogue. Commenting yesterday on the pontiff’s distinction between dialogue about the substance of faith, which is ‘not possible,’ and public discussion of the ‘cultural consequences of fundamental religious choices,’ which the pontiff called ‘possible and necessary,’ the rabbi said, ‘Faiths cannot hold dialogue beyond a certain point because there are insurmountable limits.’ Di Segni added, ‘This is a limit to all religious dialogue: It’s not like a political negotiation where I give you this and that and we make peace. It’s not like we give up dogmas.’

An Italian Muslim spokesman concurred. ‘Dialogue among believers exists,’ he said. ‘We don't hold a dialogue on our faiths ... but we do on how we can coexist, each in our diversity.’

 

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Further information:

• Non c’e liberalismo senza Dio (Corriere della Sera)
• Pope: Dialogue among religions should be pursued (AP)
• Pope demands realism in interfaith dialogue (CWN, Nov. 24)