Gość: DANIEL
IP: 168.103.126.*
30.04.02, 23:34
DRZYJCIE WROGOWIE!
Monday, 29 April, 2002, 20:04 GMT 21:04 UK
Vatican reaches out to Islamic world
The agreement aims to promote "liberty of religion"
By David Willey
BBC correspondent in Rome
The Vatican has signed an unprecedented agreement with the Government of Turkey
to promote religious dialogue between Christians and Muslims.
Muslim world has no central authority and no equivalent of bishops and cardinals
The agreement, signed at the Vatican last Friday, was made public only today
and was initialled by Cardinal Francis Arinze, the Head of the Papal Council
for Inter-religious Dialogue and by Mehmet Yilmaz, the Head of Turkey's
Religious Affairs office.
It breaks new ground in the Vatican's current attempts to reach out towards the
Islamic world.
It is the first time the Vatican has signed such an agreement with the
government of a predominantly Muslim country as apart from with a religious
institution.
Connections 'difficult'
The Vatican already has established links with one of the most prestigious
universities in the Muslim world, the al-Azhar mosque in Cairo.
However the Pope's advisers on inter-religious dialogue have always found it
difficult to establish new connections with the Muslim world which has no
central authority and no equivalent to the Pope and his hierarchy of cardinals
and bishops.
Therefore, a senior Vatican official explained that as there is no great
difference within the Muslim world between religious and governmental
authorities, the official partner in this case is a department of the Turkish
Government.
The Vatican's agreement with Turkey promotes liberty of religion, of belief and
of conscience and aims to eliminate prejudices.
See also:
23 Sep 01 | Asia-Pacific
Pope urges harmony between faiths
09 May 01 | Europe
Analysis: Bridging religious divides
07 May 01 | Middle East
Mosque visit crowns Pope's tour
29 Mar 01 | World
Pope reaches out to Islam
Internet links:
The Vatican
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Top Europe stories now:
Erfurt massacre 'planned for months'
Russia's Alexander Lebed laid to rest
Paris prepares for mass May Day demos
German strike threat looms
French joblessness up
Spanish police net ETA suspects
Schroeder warns of far-right backlash
Spain renews claim to Gibraltar
Links to more Europe stories are at the foot of the page.
