Pluriel

University platform for research on Islam

Initiated by
the Federation
of European
Catholic
Universities

Supported by
the International
Federation
of Catholic
Universities

Publisher : Cittadella Editrice -

Italian

2017

Pope Francis and Christian-Islamic Dialogue

It is ridiculous if not absurd to think of God as someone whose intention is to “defeat”. His omnipotence stops before our freedom, called to be if not “convinced”, at least “committed” to an authentic religious experience. The interiority of it is obviously secondary or totally consensual in almost everything that one claims to say or do in his name. The end can only be man, that is, a humanity made up of unique faces and stories, at the service of which every occasion should appear to us as a supreme grace given not so much to show that we are on the right side, but on what side do we want to stand in the eternal and insoluble confrontation between good and evil, light and darkness, life and death.

Il est ridicule sinon aberrant de penser à Dieu comme à quelqu’un dont l’intention est de “vaincre”. Sa toute-puissance s’arrête devant notre liberté, appelée à être sinon “convaincue”, du moins “engagée” dans une authentique expérience religieuse. L’intériorité de celle-ci est manifestement secondaire ou totalement consensuelle dans presque tout ce que l’on prétend dire ou faire en son nom. La fin ne peut être que l’homme, c’est-à-dire une humanité faite de visages et d’histoires uniques, au service de laquelle chaque occasion devrait nous apparaître comme une grâce suprême donnée non pas tant pour montrer que nous sommes du bon côté, mais de quel côté nous voulons nous tenir dans la confrontation éternelle et insoluble entre le bien et le mal, la lumière et les ténèbres, la vie et la mort.

Titre original : “Papa Francesco e il dialogo cristiani-islamici”

È ridicolo se non aberrante pensare a Dio come a Qual-cuno che abbia nella Sua agenda l’obiettivo di “vincere”. La Sua onnipotenza si ferma di fronte alla nostra libertà, chiamata semmai ad essere “convinta” o meglio “avvin-ta” in una genuina esperienza religiosa. L’interiorità di quest’ultima è palesemente secondaria o del tutto assen-te in quasi tutto ciò che si pretende di dire o di fare in Suo nome. Il fine non può che essere l’uomo, vale a dire un’umanità fatta di volti e di storie uniche e irripetibili al servizio della quale ogni occasione dovrebbe apparirci come una suprema grazia dataci non tanto per dimostrare che stiamo dalla parte giusta, ma da quale parte ci situia-mo nell’eterno e irrisolvibile confronto fra bene e male, luce e tenebre, vita e morte.

Resources of this researcher

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Religious Traditions in the Face of the Crisis of the Liberal System: The Case of Islam

Proceedings of the conference organised by the Cathoilic University of Milan on October 9th, 2019. Abstract :  Religions have regained a considerable role in the public space, to an extent that ...

publication

For a human fraternity – Christians and Muslims united in diversity

Beginning with the Document on Human Brotherhood, signed in Abu Dhabi by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyib on 5 February 2019, the volume re-reads this document in the lig...

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Disease, death and cure. Muslims and the health emergency

Original title : Malattia, morte e cura. I musulmani e l’emergenza sanitaria The health emergency caused by Covid-19 has also had a strong impact on believers and religious communities of all re...

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Pope Francis and Christian-Islamic Dialogue

It is ridiculous if not absurd to think of God as someone whose intention is to “defeat”. His omnipotence stops before our freedom, called to be if not “convinced”, at least...

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Arab and islamic humour

First lines of the introduction "The stereotype of the grim-faced Arab brandishing a scimitar is part of our collective imagination and is the result of centuries of struggle between the two sid...

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Voices of a modern Islam. Arab-Muslim thought between renewal and tradition

Original title : “Voci dell’Islam moderno. Il pensiero arabo-musulmano fra rinnovamento e tradizione” Review by Filoramo, G., in L’Indice 1993, n. 3 Since Weber, much has be...

publication

Yalla Italy! The real challenges of integrating Arabs and Muslims in our country

Publisher’s Introduction Increasingly large communities of Arabs and Muslims are changing the face of many Italian cities. This phenomenon, combined with the legitimate concerns raised by ter...

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