St. Pope John Paul II & Muhammad of Islam
Fr. Carl Chudy, SX
Recently, we remembered the 100th birthday of St. Pope John Paul II. My mother, who greatly admired this pope, recently sent me a book of his writings and I wanted to share some thoughts with you from his, Crossing the Threshold of Hope (1994) regarding Islam and our Muslim neighbors all around us.
Meanwhile, we of late saw the end of Ramadan (May 23, 2020) the most holy of months of Muslims worldwide as they fast and pray to strengthen their submission to God and to encourage solidarity with the poorest. Both occasions offer the opportunity to hear some good advice from a much revered saint and pope.
He reminds us from Vatican II and the Declaration, Nostra Aetate: “The Church also has a high regard for Muslims, who worship one God, living and subsistent, merciful and omnipotent, the Creator of heaven and earth.” (3) As a result of their faith in the one God, he says, “believers in Allah are particularly close to us.”
He recalled an incident in his youth where he met a Muslim while admiring the frescoes of Fra Angelico in the convent of the Church of St. Mark in Florence. At a certain point a man joined the the tour and shared his admiration for the works of art. He then added- “But nothing can compare to our magnificent Muslim monotheism.” It was his first taste of a dialogue between Christianity and Islam.
Despite important differences, the Pope notes the religiosity of Muslims which deserves respect. He says it is impossible not to admire the fidelity to prayer of many Muslims. The image of believers in Allah (God) who, without caring about time or place, fall to their knees and immerse themselves in prayer. It is a model for all those who invoke the true God, in particular for those Christians who, have deserted their magnificent cathedrals and perhaps pray very little.
He reminds us that Vatican II called for the Church to have a dialogue with the followers of the “Prophet Muhammad,” and the Church has proceeded to do so. It urges us all to forget the past of in fighting and to work toward mutual understanding as well as toward the promotion of social justice, moral welfare, and freedom for the benefit of all humanity.
Finally, he recalls the trip he made to Morocco at the invitation of King Hassan II as an historic event. It was not simply a courtesy visit, but an event of a truly pastoral nature. The encounter with the young people at Casablanca Stadium (1985) was unforgettable. The openness of the young Muslim population to the Pope’s words was striking as he spoke of faith in the one God.
Today, the challenges laid by the pontiff continue to loom large for all of us as we exercise our mission of love with our neighbors who represent different faiths, and perhaps no faith in God at all, but all are brothers and sisters.
