Pope urges mutual respect in personal Aidifitri greeting
Published: Aug 6, 2013 6:17 AM | Updated: Aug 6, 2013 6:21 AM
The Pope has personally sent an Aidilfitri greeting to Muslims around the world for the first time in over 20 years.
The Pope has personally sent an Aidilfitri greeting to Muslims around the world for the first time in over 20 years.
The greeting, which is normally sent by the Vatican unit for interreligious dialogue, was personally signed by the new Pope Francis (right) this year for the first time since 1991, urging mutual respect between Christians and Muslims.
The message reads, “We are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values, particular respect is due to religious leaders and to places of worship. How painful are attacks on one or other of these!
“I wish to emphasise once more the great importance of dialogue and cooperation among believers, in particular Christians and Muslims, and the need for it to be enhanced.
“With these sentiments, I reiterate my hope that all Christians and Muslims may be true promoters of mutual respect and friendship, in particular through education.
“Finally, I send you my prayerful good wishes, that your lives may glorify the Almighty and give joy to those around you. Happy Feast to you all!”
Malaysian Christian-Muslim ties strained
Ties between Christians and Muslims has been strained in Malaysia of late, particularly over the issue of the use of the word ‘Allah’ in the Bible.
Last month, Vatican envoy to Malaysia Archbishop Joseph Marino (left) in an interview expressed support for the Christian Federation of Malaysia’s stand to allow the use of the word Allah in Bibles.
This led to an outcry from some Muslim NGOs who urged that Marino be expelled for allegedly interfering in the internal politics of Malaysia.
Marino was also summoned to explain his comments to Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman, where he apologised, saying it was not his intention to interfere.
However, Perkasa has said that the apology was insufficient and labelled Marino an “enemy of the state” and has continued urging his removal.
The greeting, which is normally sent by the Vatican unit for interreligious dialogue, was personally signed by the new Pope Francis (right) this year for the first time since 1991, urging mutual respect between Christians and Muslims. The message reads, “We are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values, particular respect is due to religious leaders and to places of worship. How painful are attacks on one or other of these!
“I wish to emphasise once more the great importance of dialogue and cooperation among believers, in particular Christians and Muslims, and the need for it to be enhanced.
“With these sentiments, I reiterate my hope that all Christians and Muslims may be true promoters of mutual respect and friendship, in particular through education.
“Finally, I send you my prayerful good wishes, that your lives may glorify the Almighty and give joy to those around you. Happy Feast to you all!”
Malaysian Christian-Muslim ties strained
Ties between Christians and Muslims has been strained in Malaysia of late, particularly over the issue of the use of the word ‘Allah’ in the Bible.
Last month, Vatican envoy to Malaysia Archbishop Joseph Marino (left) in an interview expressed support for the Christian Federation of Malaysia’s stand to allow the use of the word Allah in Bibles. This led to an outcry from some Muslim NGOs who urged that Marino be expelled for allegedly interfering in the internal politics of Malaysia.
Marino was also summoned to explain his comments to Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman, where he apologised, saying it was not his intention to interfere.
However, Perkasa has said that the apology was insufficient and labelled Marino an “enemy of the state” and has continued urging his removal.
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