POPE FRANCIS' DIALOGUE INITIATIVES WITH MUSLIMS: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES (original) (raw)

Pope Francis’ Culture of Dialogue as Pathway to Interfaith Encounter: A Special Focus on Islam

Religions, 2022

Pope Francis’ leadership has stimulated several debates within the Catholic Church and even in larger segments of the public. One of the most prominently debated issues is the one concerning the relationship with people of different religions and, more specifically, with the world of Islam. Since 2013, the Argentinean pontiff appeared to be unambiguously committed to finding an alternative pathway to the much-publicized category of ‘clash of civilisations’, which, in the last few decades, has been the reference paradigm in Christian–Muslim relationships. Papal initiatives, gestures and journeys have consistently aimed at a ‘culture of dialogue and encounter’. Nevertheless, the present pope’s open attitude has encountered severe criticism even inside certain circles of the Catholic world, which have accused him of compromising on theological issues. However, Pope Francis is highly appreciated by leaders of other traditions, including Muslims. In the face of such debate, Bergoglio has...

Pope Benedict and Muslim-Christian Dialogue

Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations, 2023

Following the death of Pope Benedict (formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) on 31 December 2022, many reflected on his legacy and impact. This article aims to examine his contribution to and impact on Islamic-Christian dialogue by examining his writings, most notably the Regensburg address, as well as Dominus Iesus. The essay will also examine the approach to Muslim-Christian dialogue of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, and his successor, Pope Francis, in the process showing how these three pontiffs' approaches to Islamic-Christian dialogue both build on and differ from one another. It will also consider how Catholic-Muslim dialogue continues to develop and how the papacy continues to adapt to changing contexts that shape its relations with Islam. It will look in particular at how Muslim-Catholic dialogue during the pontificate of John Paul II was shaped by Cold War concerns and, in contrast, how Benedict's comments about Islam were shaped by and fed into the War on Terror discourse. It will then briefly make the argument that Francis, through his visits, most notably to Iraq in March of 2021, seems to be engaged in building a postWar on Terror phase of Muslim-Christian relations.

World Peace and Religion: The Perspective of Pope Benedict XVI

Religious dialogue within the framework of the Roman Catholic Church was enabled by a shift in the appraisal of other religions. The shift took place during Vatican II (1962)(1963)(1964)(1965) and is traceable through the positive and inclusive assessment made of other religions, explicitly stipulated in the Declaration Nostra Aetate. The desire for encounter and collaboration with followers of other religious traditions has led to the Church's commitment to religious dialogue. This commitment is being materialized in different forms, with different dynamisms, and at different layers of the Church's structures. The overall picture, however, might lead one to ponder on the existence of a Catholic vademecum for interreligious interactions.

Peacemaking in İnterreligious Dialogues by Pope John Paul II

III. BİLSEL Uluslararası Sur Bilimsel Araştırmalar Kongresi, 28-29 Eylül 2024, Diyarbakır, Türkiye. Kongre Kitabı. Ed. Doç. Dr. Mehmet Veysi Babayiğit. Astana Publications: Release Date: 11 October 2024 / Astana Yayınları: Yayın Tarihi: 11 Ekim 2024. ISBN: 978-625-6125-19-3 p.803-846., 2024

"Respect for the Muslims: İntercultural Communication for Peacemaking in İnterfaith and İnterreligious Dialogues: The Heritage of John Paul II" Intercultural communication has evolved due to the activity of The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) to help communicate with other nations or civilizations after World War II. In parallel, the Catholic Church evolved its theory and practice of intercultural communication, as Ecclesiam Suam by Pope Paul VI and Dives in Misericordia or the Redemptoris Missio by John Paul II. The latter’s entire pontificate was full of intercultural actions that led to the culmination in his address to the Muslims in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, on May 6, 2001. Another good example of intercultural communication was the alliance between Muslim politicians and John Paul II at the “Conference on the Development” held by the United Nations in Cairo, in 1996. This paper focuses on the time of pontificate of Pope John Paul Second (1920-1978-2005), as it was a long, significant, and able-to-be-evaluated epoch. John Paul II respected the Muslims, and the Muslims loved him, too, for his openness and love for others. Hence, the West's approach, especially that of the Catholic Church, must be changed from exclusivity to inclusivity. Noteworthy, the leading university of the Muslim World, the Al-Azhar in Cairo, is open for discussions and dialogue.

The Peace Advocacy of Pope Francis: Jesuit Perspectives

Journal of Jesuit Studies

Among the distinctive features of the papal ministry of Francis is an active dedication to peacemaking that bears noteworthy marks of his Jesuit background. A number of elements within Jesuit spirituality and history contribute to the distinctive stance that Francis assumes toward supporting peace and building the structures and conditions that encourage nonviolent resolution of conflicts worldwide. The pope’s dialogic style of diplomacy proceeds through pointed words, timely apostolic visits, and rich symbolic gestures aimed at peacebuilding and reconciliation.

Fostering Cultures of Encounter: Framing Papal Teaching on Dialogue as Multi-Track Peacebuilding

2017

This article demonstrates that there is a rough parallel between (1) Diamond and McDonald's (1996) notion of multi-track diplomacy and (2) the four levels of interreligious dialogue identified by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, along with two other levels discerned within papal teaching by the authors. Diamond and McDonald expanded the political science concept of dual-track diplomacy and, in the process, helped to buttress the legitimacy of peace studies discourse in that discipline. Comparably, this article seeks to introduce papal teaching on dialogue framed in terms of multi-track peacebuilding. As a result, it solidifies a latent resonance between Catholic Social Teaching and peace studies, a confluence that is shown to accord with Pope Francis' teachings on cultures of encounter.

St. Francis and Islam: A Critical Appraisal for Contemporary Muslim–Christian Relations, Middle East Politics and International Relations

The Downside Review, 2018

St. Francis of Assisi’s dramatic meeting with the Sultan Malek el-Kamel in Damietta, Egypt, during the Fifth Crusade (1213–1221) has become an important part of the contemporary context for Muslim–Christian relations, Middle East politics and international relations. It is well-known among Catholics and medieval historians, but it was Pope John Paul II who coined the term ‘the spirit of Assisi’ which has given this event its prominence and relevance. However, this has been questioned – it is based on limited and contradictory evidence, and why do we need such historical models of positive Muslim–Christian relations? This article, in response to these objections, argues that critical theory, the Frankfurt School and social constructivism as they are developed in the theory of international relations offer a helpful perspective to examine Francis’ encounter with the Sultan, and this shows more clearly why this early Muslim–Christian encounter is relevant for contemporary international...