The lay Catholic inter-religious
and peace-negotiating Community of Sant'Egidio in partnership
with the Imam al-Khoei Foundation played host Tuesday to a
conference between respected members of the Roman Catholic
Church and senior Muslim Shiites discussing "the responsibility
of believers in a global world" and ways to create peace.
"In the global world religions live together, they are
challenged in a very complex situation of neighbourliness," said
Sant'Egidio founder Andrea Riccardi.
The Imam al-Khoei Foundation is a global foundation linked
to Iraqi Shiite Islam's highest religious authority, the Grand
Ayatollah Ali Sistani.
Representing the Shiite community were leading religious
dignitaries from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and
Kuwait.
Leading Catholic figures attending included Cardinal
Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for
Inter-religious Dialogue.
Riccardi underlined that dialogue between Catholics and
Shiites "is a very difficult path, but it is an important path,
a path between two very different religions that are going
through a difficult moment, living the challenge of martyrdom,
of persecution, of lack of religious freedom in some parts of
the world".
"These are worlds that must meet, that are different but
that also have a great respect for each other".
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