This week the prelate made his first pastoral visit to the place of Christian worship that is part – with the mosque and the synagogue – of the “House of the Abrahamic Family.” Dialogue with people of different religions “is not only desirable, but necessary.” The Christian community is “multiethnic and multicultural from its origins.” And he remembers that the testimony of faith “excludes any form of proselytism.”
Abu Dhabi () – “In a world characterized by so many conflicts, all religions are called to show how living according to our faith makes us better people and capable of building a more just and fraternal society.” This was underlined by Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia (United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen), on the occasion of his first pastoral visit to the church of Saint Francis this week. It is the place of Christian worship within the “Abrahamic Family House” of Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the complex founded on interreligious dialogue and made up of a church, a mosque and a synagogue. “All these values are present and lived” in this structure, added the prelate , who then wanted to thank the community of believers for their “participation” in a reality that he described as “unique” for its value and testimony.
The Abrahamic Family House It is the building that symbolizes the dialogue between confessions in the Eau. It houses a church, a synagogue and a mosque and is one of the legacies of the visit of Pope Francis, during which the signing of the document on Human Fraternity with Ahmed el-Tayyeb, in the presence of more than 400 religious leaders, to promote coexistence between peoples and combat extremism. The center was inaugurated in mid-February last year, in the presence of personalities from the three great monotheistic religions involved in the project: Catholics, Muslims and Jews. Specifically, the church of San Francisco visited by the vicar is the first tangible result of the trip that began with the document on the “Brotherhood” signed by the Pope and the imam of the Egyptian university of al-Azhar, a reference point for Sunni Islam.
During the “first pastoral visit” to the church, Monsignor Martinelli spoke of a “very special” moment, because “it is not simply a branch of the cathedral. It is the church that the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, “donated” to Pope Francis and “entrusted the Apostolic Vicariate of South Arabia for its pastoral animation.” It is, therefore,” he stressed, “a unique Church in the world.” And its “location is also unique” and its “singularity” refers “immediately to the prophetic document on Human Fraternity, signed five years ago here in Abu Dhabi.” by the Pontiff and the imam.
Regarding dialogue “with people of different confessions”, the vicar explains that “it is not only desirable, but also necessary” and “it does not concern only a group of intellectuals, but all the faithful.” “The question of interreligious dialogue,” he says, “is an internal question of our faith and not just optional. This is true everywhere, but it is especially true for us, who live every day alongside people of different faiths,” in a reality of a very large Muslim majority, where Christians are mostly emigrants from other Asian nations, especially the Philippines and India. “When one comes to this church – he continues – for the celebration of the Eucharist or for a moment of prayer, one enters a complex of buildings where, in addition to the Catholic church, there are also two other places of prayer: the mosque and the synagogue. “Thus, when one goes to church, one is naturally led to recognize the presence of other religions and to practice peaceful and constructive coexistence.”
“The first fundamental element that the Christian community experiences and has in common with other religions – reflects the prelate – is the certainty of the absolute centrality of God. All religions, despite their great diversity, are united by the reference to the “mystery of God, source and destiny of all living things.” Continuing his reflection on the Christian community, Bishop Martinelli defines it as “multiethnic and multicultural from its origins. But despite the diverse nature of the community, there existed among them – he adds – a deep fraternal union, because in Christ they all recognized themselves as children and daughters of the same heavenly Father and animated by the same Spirit”.
Finally, the vicar addresses the issues of evangelization and proselytism, the importance of which is capital in a mission land where Catholics – and Christians in general – are a minority. “From the beginning, Christianity excludes any form of proselytism,” affirms the prelate, because “it is spread through testimony.” Being a witness does not mean proving that one is good or better,” but rather living one’s faith “in the family, at work, at school, with friends, in society.” Hence the invitation to take as a model and example Saint Aretas and his companions “whose 1500th anniversary of martyrdom, which they suffered in this same Arab region, we celebrate this year.” The love of Christ drives us to know each other, to overcome prejudices and to build relationships of mutual esteem, collaboration, peaceful coexistence and to work together for a more fraternal and human world.”
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