MESSAGE FOR THE MONTH OF RAMADAN AND ‘ID Al-FITR
1439 H. / 2018 A.D.

Christians and Muslims:
 From Competition to Collaboration

Dear Muslim Brothers and Sisters,

In his Providence, God the Almighty has granted you the opportunity to observe anew the fasting of Ramadan and to celebrate ‘Id al-Fitr.

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue appreciates the importance of this month and the great effort by the Muslims throughout the world to fast, pray and share the Almighty’s gifts with the poor. 

Mindful of the gifts prompted by Ramadan, we join you in thanking the Merciful God for his benevolence and generosity, and we extend to you our heartfelt best wishes. 

The thoughts we would like to share with you on this occasion, dear Muslim brothers and sisters, concern a vital aspect of relations between Christians and Muslims: the need to move from competition to collaboration. 

A spirit of competition has too often marked past relations between Christians and Muslims, the negative consequences of which are evident: jealousy, recriminations and tensions. In some cases, these have led to violent confrontations, especially where religion has been instrumentalized, above all due to self-interest and political motives.

Such interreligious competition wounds the image of religions and their followers, and it fosters the view that religions are not sources of peace, but of tension and violence. 

To prevent and overcome these negative consequences, it is important that we Christians and Muslims recall the religious and moral values that we share, while acknowledging our differences. By recognizing what we hold in common and by showing respect for our legitimate differences, we can more firmly establish a solid foundation for peaceful relations, moving from competition and confrontation to an effective cooperation for the common good. This particularly assist those most in need, and allows us to offer a credible witness to the Almighty’s love for the whole of humanity.

We all have the right and the duty to witness to the All-Powerful One we worship, and to share our beliefs with others, while respecting their religion and religious sentiments.

So that we may further peaceful and fraternal relations, let us work together and honor each another. In this way we will give glory to the Almighty and promote  harmony in society, which is becoming increasingly multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural.

We conclude by renewing our best wishes for a fruitful fast and a joyful ‘Id, and assure you of our solidarity in prayer.

From the Vatican, 20 April 2018

Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran

President

Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.I.

Secretary

Dear Muslim Brothers and Sisters,

We wish to assure you of our prayerful solidarity during this time of fasting in the month of Ramadan and the celebration of ‘Id al–Fitr that concludes it, and we extend to you our heartfelt best wishes for serenity, joy and abundant spiritual gifts.

This year’s Message is especially timely and significant: fifty years ago, in 1967, only three years after the establishment of this Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) by Pope Paul VI on 19 May 1964, the first Message was sent for this occasion.

Please click on the link above to download the full message.

Chrétiens et musulmans :

ensemble pour s’opposer à la violence 

perpétrée au nom de la religion

 MESSAGE POUR LE MOIS DU RAMADAN

ET ‘Id al-Fitr 1436 H. / 2015 a.d.

Chers frères et sœurs musulmans,

 1. Les catholiques du monde entier se joignent à moi pour vous adresser nos meilleurs vœux pour une joyeuse célébration de ‘Id al-Fitr. Pendant le mois du Ramadan, vous observez de nombreuses pratiques religieuses et sociales, comme le jeûne, la prière, l’aumône, l’assistance aux pauvres et la visite aux membres de la famille et aux amis.

Que les fruits de ces bonnes actions enrichissent votre vie !

2. Pour certains d’entre vous comme pour d’autres appartenant à d’autres communautés religieuses, la joie de cette fête est obscurcie par le souvenir de leurs proches, qui ont perdu la vie ou leurs biens ou ont souffert physiquement, mentalement ou même spirituellement à cause de la violence. Beaucoup de communautés ethniques et religieuses à travers le monde ont expérimenté d’énormes souffrances et injustices: l’assassinat de quelques-uns de leurs membres, la destruction de leur patrimoine religieux et culturel, l’émigration forcée de leurs maisons et cités, molestation et viol de femmes, l’asservissement de quelques-uns de leurs membres, le trafic de personnes, le commerce d’organes et même la vente de cadavres !

3. Nous sommes tous conscients de la gravité de ces crimes en eux-mêmes. Toutefois, ce qui les rend encore plus odieux est la tentative de les justifier au nom d’une religion. Il s’agit d’une manifestation évidente de l’instrumentalisation de la religion pour obtenir pouvoir et richesse.

4. Il serait superflu de dire que ceux qui sont chargés de l’ordre et de la sécurité publiques ont aussi le devoir de protéger les personnes et leurs biens de la violence aveugle des terroristes.

D’autre part, il y a aussi la responsabilité de ceux qui ont la charge de l’éducation : familles, écoles, textes scolaires, chefs religieux, discours religieux, médias. La violence et le terrorisme sont d’abord conçus dans les esprits de ces personnes égarées, puis perpétrés sur le terrain.

5. Tous ceux qui sont engagés dans l’éducation de la jeunesse et dans les divers espaces éducatifs devraient enseigner le caractère sacré de la vie et la dignité qui en dérive pour chaque être humain, indépendamment de l’origine ethnique, de sa religion, de sa culture, de sa position sociale ou de ses choix politiques. Il n’y a pas une vie qui soit plus précieuse qu’une autre à cause de son appartenance à une race ou à une religion spécifiques. Il en résulte que personne ne peut tuer. Personne ne peut tuer au nom de Dieu ; ceci serait un double crime : contre Dieu et contre la personne elle-même.

6. L’éducation ne tolère aucune ambiguïté. L’avenir d’une personne, d’une communauté et de l’humanité tout entière ne peut pas être construite sur l’ambiguïté ou sur une vérité apparente. Chrétiens et musulmans, d’après leur tradition religieuse respective, reconnaissent Dieu comme Vérité et se rapportent à Lui comme étant la Vérité. Notre vie et notre conduite devraient refléter une telle conviction.
 7. D’après le saint Pape Jean-Paul II, les chrétiens et les musulmans ont « le privilège de la prière » (Discours aux chefs religieux musulmans, Kaduna, Nigeria, le 14 février 1982). Notre prière est urgente: pour la justice, pour la paix et la sécurité dans le monde ; pour ceux qui se sont égarés du vrai chemin de la vie et commettent la violence au nom de la religion, afin qu’ils puissent revenir à Dieu et changer de vie ; pour les pauvres et les malades.
 8. Nos fêtes religieuses, entre autres, nourrissent en nous l’espérance envers le présent et l’avenir. C’est avec espérance que nous regardons vers le futur de l’humanité, en particulier quand nous faisons de notre mieux pour que nos aspirations légitimes deviennent réalité.

9. Avec le Pape François, nous souhaitons à vous tous que les fruits du Ramadan et la joie de ‘Id al-Fitr apportent paix et prospérité, favorisant ainsi votre croissance humaine et spirituelle.

Bonne Fête à vous tous !

 Du Vatican, le 12 juin 2015

 Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran

Président                

 Père  Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.I.

Secrétaire

Christians and Muslims: 

Together to counter violence 

perpetrated in the name of religion

 MESSAGE FOR THE MONTH OF RAMADAN

AND ‘Id al-Fitr 1436 H. / 2015 a.d.

Dear Muslim brothers and sisters,

1.       I am pleased to send you, in the name of all the Catholics around the world and in my name as well, best wishes for a peaceful and joyful celebration of ‘Id al-Fitr. You exercise during the month of Ramadan many religious and social practices, like fasting, prayer, almsgiving, help to the poor, visits to family members and to friends.

I hope and pray that the fruits of these good deeds may enrich your life.

2.       For some of you and also for others from other religious communities, the joy of the feast is shadowed by the memory of the dear ones who lost their life or goods, or suffered physically, mentally and even spiritually because of violence. Ethnic and religious communities in a number of countries of the world went through various and enormous unjust sufferings: killing of some of their members, destruction of their   religious and cultural heritages, forced emigration from their homes and cities, molestation and raping of their women, enslavement of some of their members, trafficking of persons, commerce of organs, and even selling of cadavers!

3.       We are all aware of the gravity of these crimes in themselves. However, what makes them even more heinous is the tentative of justifying them in the name of religion. It is a clear manifestation of instrumentalising religion for gaining power and richness.

4.       Needless to say that those who have the responsibility of security and public order have also the duty to protect their people and their properties from the blind violence of the terrorists. 

Besides, there is also the responsibility of those who have the task of education: families, schools, curricula, religious leaders, religious discourse, media. Violence and terrorism are first conceived in the mind of the deviated persons, thereafter perpetrated on the ground.

5.       All those are involved in the education of the youth and in the various educational spaces should teach the sacred character of life and the derived dignity of every person, regardless of his or her ethnicity, religion, culture, social position and political choice. There is no life that is more precious than another one because it belongs to a specific race or religion. Therefore, no one can kill. No one can kill in the name of God; this would be a double crime: against God and the very person.

6.       There cannot be any ambiguity in education. The future of a person, community and of the whole humanity cannot be built on such ambiguity or apparent truth. Christians and Muslims, according to their respective religious tradition, look at God and relate with Him as being the Truth. Our life and behaviour as believers should reflect such conviction.

7.       According to Saint John Paul II, Christians and Muslims have “the privilege of prayer” (Address to Muslim Religious Leaders, Kaduna, Nigeria, 14 February 1982). Our prayer is much needed: for justice, for peace and security in the world; for those who have deviated from the true path of life and commit violence in the name of religion, so as to return to God and change life; for the poor and the sick. 

8.       Our feasts, among others, nourish in us hope for the present and the future. It is with hope that we look at the future of humanity, especially when we do our best to make our legitimate dreams become a reality. 

9.       With Pope Francis, we wish you that the fruits of Ramadan and the joy of ‘Id al-Fitr may bring about peace and prosperity, enhancing your human and spiritual growth.

Happy Feast to you all!

From the Vatican, 12 June 2015

Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran

President

Father Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.I.

Secretary