Interreligious Dialogue: An Initiative of the Brothers of Charity Rome. This dialogue seeks to identify ways of interreligious cooperation between Muslims and Christians in India and all over the world to prevent and/or intervene in the growing tension and possible aggression between religious groups. The Brothers were founded by the Belgian Vincent dePaul.
Cardinal Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, Secretary of the Council and the General Superior of the Brothers of Charity, Prof. Dr. René Stockman met at the Vatican on February 6 with Imam Umair Ahmed Ilyasi, Secretary General of the Indian Organization of Imams of Mosques.
The theme of the meeting was identifying ways of interreligious cooperation between Muslims and Christians in India and all over the world to prevent and/or intervene in the growing tension and possible aggression between religious groups.
The Brothers of Charity, present in India and active with several social projects in the North, South and Centre of the country, led the initiative for cooperation after several meetings with the Imam who is responsible for half million Imams in India.
During the conversation the Imam proposed to establish formal cooperation between the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Indian Organization of Imams of Mosques to collaborate in common actions for peace by fortifying each other’s international networks to influence and calm tension between religious groups where needed. The Imam also expressed his hope for a visit of his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to India on the occasion of a national conference for interreligious cooperation.
Both parties agreed that interreligious cooperation is an indispensable instrument for peace that urgently needs to be developed to prevent tension and to preach and teach peace among the religious communities all over the world. The Council and the Organization of Imams of Mosques will study the discussed propositions and agreed to meet again. The Cardinal plans a visit to India in the month of June 2009. There was an agreement to meet formally during that period to formalize this message of hope and peace.
The Brothers of Charity give their support to the creation of a new organization called the International Interreligious Cooperation Organization.
Johan Maertens
Director International Development Agency Brothers of Charity
Tags: Brothers of Charity, dialogue, Vincentian Family
