It is important that we, as Christians, have an understanding of other religions that exist in our local areas in any kind of numbers, so we can identify the things we have in common and challenge nationalist right wing voices that are increasingly seeking to fracture societies along religious lines.
Here in Spain the Roman Catholic church is taking an important step in its understanding of Islam by setting up a department specifically to address the rise in our country’s Muslim population – the majority of whom are Spanish citizens, either by birth or naturalisation, followed by Moroccans, Pakistanis, Senegalese, and Algerians.
The new body will be part of the Bishops’ Subcommittee for Interconfessional Relations and Interreligious Dialogue, and will be chaired by the auxiliary Bishop of Seville, Ramón Darío Valdivia.
It’s aim will be “to respond to the pastoral challenges posed by the growing presence of Muslim faithful in Spain.” Such challenges include supporting spouses in mixed marriages and training priests, seminarians, and laypeople for effective local dialogue.
Read the story on EWTN News here.