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Home  News ICNA News Mid Atlantic Muslim-Catholic Dialogue Approves Document On Marriage |
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Mid Atlantic Muslim-Catholic Dialogue Approves Document On Marriage |
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Thursday, 10 May 2007 |
WASHINGTON (May 11) -- The Mid Atlantic Dialogue of Muslims and Catholics met at Immaculate Conception Center, Douglaston, NY, April 17-19, 2007, to conclude its first round of work. Convened in 1996 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the working group has looked at Catholic and Muslim perspectives on marriage and how the respective traditions treat the issue of interfaith marriage, which has become increasingly common as a result of demographic shifts.
After the attacks of September 11, 2001, the dialogue put aside the topic of marriage in order to examine over the course of several sessions the relationship between religion and violence. But lately the group has been moving toward the completion of a pastoral document designed to inform clergy, couples, and marriage preparation personnel about the central teachings on marriage of both faiths. The publication of Marriage: Catholic and Sunni-Muslim Perspectives is expected later this year. It is a clear statement of the central principles of the Catholic and Sunni Muslim marriage traditions.
The document’s primary readership is expected to be clergy and marriage preparation personnel in churches, religious schools, and mosques.
In discussing interfaith marriages between Catholics and Sunni Muslims,
the document strives to balance pastoral sensitivity with legal
requirements on both sides. For example, Islamic law does not recognize
a marriage between a Muslim woman and a Catholic man, but does
recognize a marriage between a Catholic woman and a Muslim man.
In view of the spiritual welfare of couples and children, the dialogue group did not wish to encourage interfaith marriages.
The dialogue group expressed its gratitude for eleven years of cooperative efforts through challenging times that included 9/11.
This recent round has laid the groundwork for a new set of dialogues on religious education in the two communities.
Also included at the April 17-19 meeting were presentations on
religious education by Rev. Gregory Fairbanks of the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia, Dr. Safaa Zarzour of the Council of Greater Chicago
Muslim Organizations, and Professor Sandra Keating of Providence
College, who is also a consulter to the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue. Father Fairbanks examined how political
context has helped to shape the historical sources on the relations
between Muslims and Catholics that are used in religious education
texts.
Dr. Zarzour spoke about the experience of Muslim educators working on a
project with the Archdiocese of Chicago on a Muslim-Catholic curriculum
that has been underway since 1998. Nearly ten years of working with
this curriculum have demonstrated its viability in the environment of
religious school systems, Dr. Zarzour said. Social service projects,
teacher training, and school exchange visits have been highlights of
the program in this period.
Professor Keating presented a critical reflection on the new book, What
Do We Want the Other to Teach About Us?, a series of essays growing out
of dialogues sponsored by Sacred Heart University in Bridgeport, CT.
This book challenges the reader with the perspective of the “religious
outsider” as a component of teaching fairly and objectively about a
particular religion. Since the vocation of teaching draws on personal
experience, it is crucial that teachers be aware of the distinction
between a personal view and that of the historic faith community. The
problem of who is authorized to speak for a tradition also arises from
this discussion.
Participants in this final meeting of the first round were: Bishop
Denis J. Madden, Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore (Co-chair); Ameer
Khurshid A. Khan, President of ICNA (Co-chair); Sister Josephine Kase,
IHM assistant director in Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious
Affairs of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia; Br. David Carroll, F.S.C.,
Under Secretary General of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association
(CNEWA); Rev. Philip Latronico, ecumenical officer, Archdiocese of
Newark; Rev. Thomas Ryan, C.S.P., Paulist Fathers Interfaith officer;
Rev Francis X. Mazur, ecumenical officer, Diocese of Buffalo; Rev.
Gregory Fairbanks, ecumenical officer of the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia; Dr. Sandra Toenies Keating, Assist. Professor of Theology
at Providence College, consulter to the Pontifical Commission for
Religious Relations with the Muslims; Mohammad Tariq Sherwani,
Director, Muslim Center of New York; M. Shamsheer Ali Baig, ICNA; Azeem
Khan, ICNA; Imam Shamsi Ali, Jamaica Muslim Center/Islamic Cultural
Center of New York; Imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli, Islamic Society of Central
New Jersey; Rafeek Mohamed, principal of Al-Ihsan Academy, Imam of
Masjid Al-Ikhlas; Dr. Safaa Zarzour, Council of Greater Chicago Muslim
Organizations; Imam Safee Ali, ICNA; Rev. Francis Tiso, USCCB staff.
taken from:
http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2007/07-083.shtml
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