VATICAN UCAN Document - Christians And Muslims Must Cooperate To Defend Family

September 22, 2008 ZY05801.1516 1259 words

VATICAN CITY (UCAN) -- "Christians and Muslims can and must work together to safeguard the dignity of the family," the Vatican says in greeting the world's 1 billion Muslims as they prepare to celebrate the feast of Id al-Fitr.

French Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, signed the message, which the Vatican press office released on Sept. 19. The council issued the text in Arabic, English, French and Italian, but translations are available in several other languages including Indonesian, Thai and Urdu.

The theme of family was chosen for this year's message "because both Christians and Muslims hold the family in high esteem," Father Markus Solo, SVD told Gerard O'Connell , UCA News special correspondent in Rome . The 40-year-old Indonesian Divine Word priest serves as desk officer for Christian-Muslim dialogue in Asia at the pontifical council.

"Today, people have the impression that throughout the world interreligious dialogue is stepping forwards and backwards at the same time," he stated.

Certainly, he acknowledged, "interreligious dialogue is facing various difficulties, " but he added that progress in this field "is not a matter of statistics" but rather a "question of consciousness. "

At the root of the difficulties "we find a lack of respect for differences, for the otherness of people, a lack of love, a lack of sensitivity to plurality." In other words, "the values that must be practiced and shown in the family" are absent, he explained.

Christians and Muslims both consider the family "the first school of children," Father Solo said, because "it is in the family that children learn to love and to respect others, also with their different religion and culture."

The family, he continued, "is the basis for peace and harmony in society," and "therefore the role of the family is significant in interreligious education."

Id al-Fitr immediately follows the end of Ramadan, when Muslims fast and purify themselves. Islamic tradition holds that God, Allah, revealed the Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad during this month.

"Muslims all over the world are joyfully celebrating the feast of the Revelation of al-Qur'an with all the members of their family," Father Solo pointed out. The pontifical council, he said, felt this an appropriate occasion "to mention the fundamental role of the family in developing an interreligious way of thinking for building a better future for society through peace and harmony between religions."

The priest emphasized the Vatican 's conviction, stated in the message, that "peace and harmony between the religions depends very much on the good education of the children."

In the text, which the Vatican sent to international Muslim organizations, Cardinal Tauran notes that through their mutual esteem for the family, Muslims and Christians "have already had many occasions, from the local to the international level, to work together in this field."

Father Solo elaborated by saying the field for this collaboration "is today very broad and extensive," and "all who are active in promoting dialogue" between the followers of both religions, not just religious leaders, have the task of promoting this.

Collaboration can take different forms, he explained, including "theoretical work" such as "organizing seminars, symposiums, conferences and research" so as to help transmit "the importance of the family in educating for interreligious dialogue."

On a more practical level, he continued, it includes "visiting other families in the neighborhood, sharing experiences of education and family worries regarding children, and so on."

The role of the family in promoting dialogue and harmony between Muslims and Christians "is a crucial issue" today, he reiterated, saying he hopes the Church at the local level "will motivate the promoters of interreligious dialogue to give attention to this."

For its part, he said, the Pontifical Council will pay greater attention to this theme in its interreligious activities both at the Vatican and worldwide.

This is the 41st year that the Vatican office for dialogue with other religions has sent an Id al-Fitr greeting to Muslims worldwide. The feast begins with the sighting of the new moon, which is expected around Sept. 30.

Over the years Vatican sources have told UCA News "very many" Muslims respond positively to this annual message, with some sending reciprocal greetings at Christmas and Easter to Catholics.

(By Fr. Markus Solo, SVD)