Regional Interfaith Dialogue, Connecting and Cooperating for Peace and Harmony In the Asia-Pacific region
Muslim leaders from around the world met in Jakarta in the early part of May to address the religious aspects of extremism and terrorism. The International Summit of Moderate Islamic Leaders was hosted by Nahdlatul Ulama, an Indonesian Muslim organization that claims 50 million members worldwide.
On Saturday May 28, Pope Francis met with the president of the Republic of Singapore, marking 35 years of diplomatic relations between the Southeast Asian country and the Holy See, and the first ever state visit by a Singaporean president to a Pope.
Pope Francis has met the grand imam of Egypt’s highest Islamic authority, Al-Azhar, looking to heal Vatican relations with the influential centre of Sunni Muslim learning after dialogue was frozen five years ago. The 1,000-year-old mosque and university centre cut contacts with the Vatican in 2011 over what it said were repeated insults towards Islam from Francis’s predecessor, Pope Benedict.
Pope Francis received Prime Minister of Iraq Haydar al-Abadi in audience on the morning of 10 February 2016 in the study of the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday said Jews and Christians can continue to cooperate together “for the good of the peoples of our time” and work for peace together – especially in the Holy Land and the Middle East. Speaking to representatives of B’nai B’rith International, a Jewish organization that sponsors cultural programs and promotes religious tolerance and international cooperation, the Pope recalled the landmark Vatican II declaration, Nostra Aetate which laid the groundwork for the Catholic Church’s relations with Jews. Founded in 1843, B’nai B’rith, which also provides humanitarian aid and community service in needy areas, has a presence in more than 50 countries across the globe.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met with interfaith leaders here on Monday evening who had earlier levelled criticism against his administration.
The GrIP Project was implemented through the funding assistance of the Strengthening Grassroots Interfaith Dialogue and Understanding (SGIDU) Program managed by Australian Embassy Manila.