Vatican diplomat: Catholics, Muslims must learn more about religions

Published: 2008-02-25

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholics and Muslims must learn more about each other's religions if they want to get along better, said the Vatican ambassador in Egypt and former president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. "Rather than just knowing persons, we must know their religion more deeply in order to understand the people," Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald told Vatican Radio. The archbishop was interviewed Feb. 24, the evening before the annual Catholic-Muslim dialogue meeting of Vatican representatives with representatives of Cairo's al-Azhar University. "We know that among Muslims and Christians there are common points, although certainly not a common faith in Christ," Archbishop Fitzgerald said. "We must respect the differences while trying to find spheres in which it would be possible to collaborate and help one another." The dialogue with the university, a point of reference for many Muslims around the world, was marking its 10th annual session.

Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .