Posted on 06/29/2006 5:36:14 PM PDT by NYer
ROME, JUNE 29, 2006 (Zenit.org).- An Egyptian Muslim and deputy director of a prominent Italian newspaper suggested that Mary could be the figure who brings Christians and Muslims together.
Magdi Allam of Il Corriere della Sera spoke to ZENIT about the appeal he launched in the pages of the national daily newspaper to Muslims living in Italy to visit the Marian shrines in their host country.
The journalist said that he is convinced that the Virgin Mary is a meeting point between Christians and Muslims.
"Mary is a figure present in the Koran, which dedicates an entire sura [chapter ed.n.] to her and mentions her some thirty times. In Muslim countries there are Marian shrines that are the object of veneration and pilgrimage by Christian and Muslim faithful," he said.
"Therefore, I believe that if this happens in Muslim countries, why can't it happen in a Christian country, especially in a historical phase in which we need to define symbols, values and figures that unite religions, spiritualities and cultures?" he asked.
In Allam's opinion, "the Marian pilgrimage of Loreto -- Italy's National Shrine -- could represent a moment of meeting and spiritual gathering between Muslims and Catholics, around Mary, a religious figure that is venerated by both religions."
Vittorio Messori, author of book-interviews with Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Benedict XVI), also wrote in Il Corriere della Sera on June 15 in support of Allam.
He said that the dialogue between Christians and Muslims "can begin afresh from Mary."
Thanks for the link.
Great Post!
God Bless
I absolutely agree with you there. Allah certainly is not our God, the God of Abraham, but a made up moon-deity. I don't know how Muslims have a special place for Christ's mother, yet only view him as "a prophet of peace", and find it acceptable to kill his followers. They are the enemy of all.
I was kind of confusing hell and purgatory. I don't have any resources here at work to back me up, so I have to do it off the cuff. That, and I am only 21 and don't have any kind of real Catholic education, only what I have time to read on the side from time to time. It is not a fault of the Catholic Church, but of my own ignorance of it's teaching.
I have a nephew that died at birth. What was his sin?
mark
As to the many comments on this thread, I merely shake my head. Whenever a thread mentions Mary it opens the door for the old tired "idolaters" charge against Catholics. I feel comfortable in my faith that I believe salvation comes through Christ, but also that He holds a special place in His heart for His mother so we should too.
But if our omnipotent Lord willed it to be as such, what is the problem? Christ was obedient to his mother, such as at the wedding feast at Caana. There's also the 4th commandment, obey thy father and mother. What about in John's gospel, "When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, he said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son." Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother". And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.(Jn 19:336-37)
Why would our God say and do these things if it were not for his greater plan? Yahweh is unknowable. His plan is a mystery of faith, and indeed he works in mysterious ways. Here, I see Christ, and therefore God, clearly elevating his earthly, physical mother into his spiritual mother. How can we, his followers, claim to accept his teaching and believe in him, yet reject parts of what he wants? That is hypocrisy to me, and I don't understand why so many Christians here are always posting against Mary.
No one is forcing you to pray to her, because God gave you free will, but why you must go and tell others that have been praying to her for hundreds upon hundreds of years before your churches and theological views were formed is wrong is beyond me. Don't worry about us, and we won't worry about you, and we will someday meet in heaven, and avoid unpleasant future conflicts.
You are right.
I know it's sin, but that doesn't mean I have the means of looking into its abyss.
You are quite presumptuous.
If it is so "uncomplicated," then why are there thousands of denominations?
What am I presuming?
I mean the other definition.
Thanks.
I'm about to leave work, so have a good 4th.
Theoden
::sigh::
I am trying my best, however futilely, to try to get you tu understand the difficulty Fundamentalist Protestants have with Catholicism/Orthodoxy. All you hear from them are proof texts, so you've come to believe that there can't possibly be any intellectual difficulties with Catholicism's position vis a vis Fundamentalist Protestantism. I'm trying to show you these difficulties. But all you can do is respond with anger, as you almost always do.
I am beginning to suspect you of dishonesty. Is it "false witness" to point out that Biblial inerrancy isn't as important to Catholics as it is conservative Protestants? Is it? That is nothing but plain, obvious truth and everyone knows it. It's no secret that Catholic FReepers do "yeoman service" in de-literalizing and allegorizing the Bible. You could not possibly deny this. Why, if I were to ask you if you believe in Adam and Eve the chances are 90% likely that you'd say "no." And all you can do is hurl a bitter charge against me without even commenting on it?
You could not possibly be unaware of all the anti-literalist Catholic posts on this forum. What is the point with trying to discuss something with a dishonest person?
I'm sure you'd like to believe that the only possible reason to prefer the Protestant to the Catholic position is an extremely low IQ, but this is not the truth however much you'd like to think so.
Why don't you respond to me for a change? How in the world is name-calling alone proving that my points are not valid?
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