December 19 - Pope Francis and his invitation to dialogue with Islam

A. EXEGENCIES OF A GENUINE DIALOGUE  1 . Truth and Love (No. 250)
The first thing to be detected in n. 250 is what is being said about "an attitude of openness in truth and in love " that should characterize relations with other religions . This is important for our global society in which we are in frequent contact with members of different religions.

The Pope underlines that the correct path for encounter and dialogue requires both "love and truth": there is no truth in the hardening of positions, there is no love in ambiguous and vague communication. This is the correct, balanced attitude, that is often lacking today.

B. THE PURPOSE OF THE DIALOGUE  1 . At the Service of Peace (No. 250)
The purpose of dialogue is to ensure peace in the world: "Interreligious dialogue is a necessary condition for peace in the world, and so it is a duty for Christians as well as other religious communities" (No. 250) .
 

And a little further on the Pope adds: "We can then join one another in taking up the duty of serving justice and peace, which should become a basic principle of all our exchanges" ( No. 250) . Service is therefore a duty, and particularly the service of justice and peace. And it is a duty for Christians and believers.

In my opinion, the word "together" is very important: dialogue is not just "I talk and you listen" and then "you talk and I listen", but the fact is that "together" we put ourselves at the service of justice and of peace. This is the very practical and pastoral vision of the current Pope.

2 . Accepting each other with our differences (n. 250, 252 and 253)
A practical consequence of this dialogue is respect for the difference of others, listening to others, having a friendly attitude towards others.

In No. 250 , he says : "In this way we learn to accept others and their different ways of living, thinking and speaking". This acceptance of the other as different from me, is crucial. It is "in which, by mutual listening, both parts can be purified and enriched".

As Christians, we should learn from them to devote time to prayer on a regular basis. The Pope stresses the positivity of the Islamic witness in front of a certain laxity of Western Christianity.  He also praises Muslim religiosity, the dependence on God: "Many of them also have a deep conviction that their life, in its entirety, is from God and for God" (No. 252) . This attitude could correct the Western world today, tempted by Prometheanism.

In No. 253 he recalls a condition for dialogue: to be "solidly and joyfully grounded in their own identity, but so that they can also acknowledge the values of others, appreciate the concerns underlying their demands and shed light on shared beliefs".

C. POINTS THAT REQUIRE CLARIFICATION
Let us now turn to the points that require clarification. In No. 252, the Pope cites the famous Second Vatican Council text, Nostra Aetate, in stating that Muslims, "profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, who will judge humanity on the last day.

3 . The figure of Christ in the Gospel and the Koran (No. 252)
The Koran refers to "Jesus and Mary [who] are the object of profound veneration". To tell the truth, Jesus is not an object of veneration in the Muslim tradition. Instead, Mary is venerated, especially by Muslim women, who willingly go to the places of pilgrimage.

In fact, all that is said of Jesus in the Koran is the exact opposite of Christian teachings. He is not the Son of God, but a prophet and that's it . He is not even the last of the prophets, because instead the "seal of the prophets " is Muhammad (Koran 33:40 ). Christian revelation is only seen as a step towards the ultimate revelation brought by Muhammad, ie Islam .

2 . "The fundamentalists on both sides" (no. 250 and 253)
Finally, there are two points that I would like to criticize: the first is where the Pope groups together all fundamentalisms . In No. 250 he says : "An attitude of openness in truth and in love must characterize the dialogue with the followers of non-Christian religions, in spite of various obstacles and difficulties, especially forms of fundamentalism on both sides".

3 . Violence in the Koran and the life of Muhammad (No. 253)
Finally, the Pope mentions the violence in Islam. In No. 253 he writes : "True Islam and the proper interpretation of the Koran oppose all violence".