Friday, March 15, 2013
This is the message addressed to Pope Francis sent by COREIS Italian an organization which represents Italian Muslims
As Muslims, we wish to express to all Catholic Christians, our brothers in the faith of One God, our most heartfelt congratulations for the renewal of a leadership role for the Catholic Church. We are aware of the vital importance of continuity in the expression of authority which is vital to every spiritual community of believers, especially in times of transition. We welcome the call to brotherhood expressed in the first words of the newly elected Pope Francis, in the hope that it will realize an authentic spiritual harmony among followers of different religious communities. We hope that the new pontificate is a true sign of real universal openness and recognition for all orthodoxies which base their faith in the One God.
As Muslims we hope that the selection of name of the new Pope remembers Francis of Assisi’s great example of holiness and openness to the East and Islam. We also remember another great saint, St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, who reminds us that a sense of longing for the knowledge of God is at the heart of all true spirituality. In this moment of historic transition we believe that the fate of humanity are intimately linked to the ability to continue to develop dimensions of faith, knowledge and holiness, which are embodied by men belonging the various religions.
COREIS has always recognized the work to preserve the testimony of God in the West and will continue a dialogue with the Catholic Church and Christianity. COREIS remembers the historic meeting in Assisi in 1986, in which the founder of COREIS, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Wahid Pallavicini, was welcomed by the Blessed John Paul II. Other milestones include meetings between the vice president Imam Yahya Pallavicini and Pope Benedict XVI at Castel Gandolfo in 2006. We renew our best wishes for the beginning of the new pontificate, confident that cooperation will be vital for a new intellectual orientation; we support a spiritual man in his contribution to the world.
