Pope
Francis’ visit to the UAE this week is historical for a number of
reasons. His journey is the first papal
visit to the region. Nearby Saudi-Arabia is the birth place of
Islam. Not
surprisingly, his trip takes place during the 800th year anniversary
of the historical meeting between Francis of Assisi and Sultan al-Malik
of Egypt. Francis has not been afraid to
warn of the extremism that is sometimes inherent in the name of religion. Thus he seems to follow the warning of his predecessor
Pope Benedict XVI. However, Francis like
Benedict is also consistent with Vatican II’s teaching on Islam that seeks to point
out and appreciate those aspects that are good.
Pope Francis sees the coming meetings an opportunity for mutual dialogue
and understanding between Christianity and Islam. Hoping the visit will be encouraging to
Christians and fruitful for inter-religious conversation.
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Pope Francis arrives in Abu Dhabi, UAE (AFP/Getty Images) |
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