Vatican official says contemplation leads to interreligious dialogue

Published: 2005-07-14

ASSISI, Italy (CNS) -- When followers of different religions contemplate the actions of God, they begin to recognize that all that is good in any religion is the work of the spirit of God, a Vatican official said. Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said in a message to a group of Catholics, Hindus and Muslims that "a contemplative attitude is at the basis of interreligious dialogue." The group was participating in a July 13-17 meeting in Assisi sponsored by the Italian chapter of the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, an effort founded by Catholic monks. The July meeting focused on "the contemplation of God in Hinduism, Benedictine monasticism and Sufism," the mystical tradition of Islam. In his message to the meeting, Archbishop Fitzgerald said, "The theme of contemplation is important not only because it favors the discovery of the riches of various traditions, but also because a contemplative attitude is at the basis of interreligious dialogue."

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