With the passing of Pope Francis, I was frankly apprehensive about the prospect of a new pope. Who would he be? Would he carry forward Francis’ legacy, especially on Catholic-Muslim dialogue? Some of the top cardinal contenders had experience with Islam, and not all of it was positive. (I wrote about one example here back in 2012.)
Like many Catholics, I did not at all expect the American Augustinian Robert Prevost to be elected—I’d never heard of him! Thus, from his first moments out on the balcony, I’ve been paying close attention to gather clues about what Leo XIV’s approach to dialogue with Muslims might be like and if it will be consonant with Francis’. I followed Francis’ efforts in Catholic-Muslim relations closely and have compiled my writing and speaking on the subject here.
Although we are only a couple weeks into the new pontificate, there are numerous signs that Leo XIV is intent to continue the legacy of Francis,in a general way regarding dialogue, but also especially in relation to Islam.
Early Francis buzzwords
The first clues came in Leo’s first speech moments after he’d been elected. In his remarks to the thousands assembled in St. Peter’s Square to celebrate his election, he talked about the need to “build bridges through dialogue and encounter.” All three of these terms (italicized by me) were favorites of Francis, and ones he used often when talking about interfaith relations. Leo’s use of them certainly was not an accident.
It is also apparent from Leo’s words and gestures that he has sincere appreciation for Francis as a person and his approach to the papacy. After his own election, he spoke of Francis’ “faint yet ever courageous voice” and, prior to being elevated to the papacy, spoke about his faith that the Holy Spirit had been present and active in the election of Pope Francis in 2013.
Continuing the trajectory
Leo has also been more explicit in indicating that he is plans to carry forward Francis’ approach—namely, continuing the embodiment of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council in today’s church. In an address on May 10 to the College of Cardinals, Leo said:
I would like us to renew together today our complete commitment to the path that the universal Church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Pope Francis masterfully and concretely set it forth in the Apostalic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium… Sensing myself called to continue in this same path… [italicized by me].
While in this particular speech, Leo did not mention interreligious dialogue, this was a core component of the Second Vatican Council. This four-year gathering of bishops concluded 60 years ago this year, and involved a revolutionizing of the church’s relationship to other religious traditions. Thanks to Vatican II, the church adopted a more positive orientation to other religious traditions, emphasizing what it called “dialogue” and forging relationships the world over with those of other faiths.
Continuing on the path with Francis’ friends
A sign that Francis’ connections with Muslims would be maintained came just a week into Leo’s papacy, when he spoke on the phone to the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, a major institution of Islamic learning in Egypt, Ahmed al-Tayyeb. Francis and the Grand Imam were personal friends and collaborated on the 2019 Document on Human Fraternity.
After speaking with Leo, al-Tayyeb wrote on social media, in part:
During a phone call today with my brother, Pope Leo XIV, I congratulated him on his election as Head of the Catholic Church. Together, we affirmed the importance of continuing the path of dialogue and human fraternity to promote coexistence and global peace, while emphasizing the urgent need to end conflicts and wars, specifically in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, and to support the rights of the vulnerable, underprivileged, and oppressed.”
That day, Leo also spoke with al-Tayyeb’s colleague, Mohamed Abdelsalam, who had helped facilitate the relationship between the late Holy Father and the Grand Imam and who himself was a personal friend of Francis. On Instagram Abdelsalam wrote:
A remarkable and exceptional meeting at the Vatican with Pope Leo XIV, Head of the Catholic Church. It was a distinguished and inspiring meeting during which I witnessed the wisdom and commitment of His Holiness towards advancing interfaith dialogue as well as supporting the values of human fraternity and coexistence. We reflected on the legacy of the late Pope Francis and his extraordinary humanitarian journey. Pope Leo XIV expressed his deep appreciation for His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders. His Holiness also expressed his eagerness towards cooperating with His Eminence in pursuit of a more compassionate, tolerant, just, and peaceful world.”
Although we don’t (yet) have record of these conversations from the Vatican side, they show the willingness of the new pope to continue the conversation with Francis’ main Muslim interlocutors.
Intent on interreligious dialogue
On May 19, Pope Leo met with leaders of other Christian denominations as well as leaders from other religious communities. Many Muslims, including Abdelsalam, were present, as they had also been at Leo’s inauguration. During the gathering, Leo once again invoked his predecessor, speaking specifically of Francis’ approach to interfaith relations:
One of the strong emphases of Pope Francis’ pontificate was that of universal fraternity. In this regardthe Holy Spirit really ‘urged’ him to advance with great stridesthe initiatives already undertaken by previous Pontiffs, especially since Saint John XXIII. The Pope of Fratelli Tutti promoted both the ecumenical path and interreligious dialogue. He did so above all by cultivating interpersonal relations, in such a way that, without taking anything away from ecclesial bonds, the human trait of the encounter was always valued. May God help us to treasure his witness!
Later in his speech, he said plainly, “Now is the time for dialogue and building bridges” and then spoke positively of the representatives of other religious traditions, describing them as those “who share the search for God and his will, which is always and only the will of love and life for men and women and for all creatures.”
Leo then circled back to Francis, calling his interfaith efforts “remarkable.” He observed that Francis, in his “word and actions . . . opened new avenues of encounter, to promote ‘the culture of dialogue as the path; the mutual collaboration as the code of conduct; and reciprocal understanding as the method and standard.’” Here Leo was quoting the words of both the Pope and the Grand Imam in their joint Document on Human Fraternity.
Mentioning Muslims
In his May 19 remarks, Leo then went on to speak to the Jewish and Muslim attendees specifically. He referred to both groups as “brothers and sisters” to us, a designation that is intentional. In using it, Leo—like his recent predecessors—does not mean that they are our siblings in a general “human family” sense; instead, it is a theologically laden phrase and points to the Catholic acknowledgment that we do worship the same God (albeit often through different means and doctrinal formulations).
In speaking to the Muslim attendees, he observed that Catholic-Muslim relations “have been marked by a growing commitment to dialogue and fraternity” [italics added by me]. He then went on to reference the third paragraph of Nostra Aetate, the Vatican II declaration from 1965 in which the church, for the first time, made positive statements about the faith tradition of Muslims. Leo reiterated the church’s “esteem” for Muslims who “worship God who is one, living and subsistent, merciful and almighty.”
Leo called this approach, which is “based on mutual respect and freedom of conscience,” a “solid foundation for building bridges between our communities.” By using metaphors of foundations and building, Leo is indicating that there is still more ‘work’ to be done, that the dialogue and collaboration between Catholics and Muslims is not over but will expand and grow under his pontificate.
Dialogue for change
For Francis, dialogue was not only about personal friendships, nor was it solely about the theological and spiritual—though these things were certainly important and meaningful for him, too. Dialogue for Francis was also about harnessing our religious traditions and our interfaith relationships to breakdown injustice and build up a better world. Toward the end of his May 19 speech, Leo indicated that he has the same priorities for dialogue:
To all of you, representatives of other religious traditions, I express my gratitude for your participation in this meeting and for your contribution to peace. In a world wounded by violence and conflict, each of the communities represented here brings its own contribution of wisdom, compassion and commitment to the good of humanity and the preservation of our common home. I am convinced that if we are in agreement, and free from ideological and political conditioning, we can be effective in saying “no” to war and “yes” to peace, “no” to the arms race and “yes” to disarmament, “no” to an economy that impoverishes peoples and the Earth and “yes” to integral development.”
These words sound like Francis’ voice, but they are indeed those of our new pope. Leo seems poised to continue the trajectory of his predecessor, to walk the path that Francis and his Muslim friends traversed. He’ll certainly do so with his own unique style and perhaps will guide us down unexpected paths. I, for one, am excited to see where the journey leads.
Image: Flickr / Catholic Church England and Wales
Add comment