Author:
Publication: Zenit.org
Date: May 2, 2004
Addresses Question Posed by Muslims
in Spain
Is it permissible to allow Muslims
to worship in a Catholic church?
The answer is no, according to Archbishop
Michael Fitzgerald, the president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious
Dialogue.
The question, asked by a Spanish
Muslim, had sparked a national debate in that country, as followers of
Islam in Spain wish to be able to worship in the cathedral of Cordoba,
a former mosque.
In statements to AsiaNews, Archbishop
Fitzgerald clarified that no official request has been made to the Holy
See. It was simply communicated in a personal capacity in March by a Spanish
Muslim during a dialogue meeting of the pontifical council, he said.
"A general reflection is needed
here," Archbishop Fitzgerald said. "As there are monumental buildings in
Cordoba, there are also others around the world which currently have a
use different from that of the original -- like the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul,
now an Islamic museum, despite pressure put on by some Muslims to use it
again as a mosque."
"The Holy Father visited the Umayad
Mosque in Damascus, praying in front of the tomb of St. John the Baptist,"
the archbishop recalled. However, the Pope "did not ask to celebrate Mass
in the mosque."
"It is difficult to have Christians
and Muslims mixing and sharing a common life," Archbishop Fitzgerald said.
"The shared use of a building by various churches is problematic. There
are spaces dedicated to this purpose, for example, in airports. But they
are not churches or mosques. They are interfaith spaces, capable of being
used by Jews, Christians, Muslims and persons of other faiths alike."
He continued: "But this is based
on a type of agreement to allow for their shared use. Yet this is not the
reality in Cordoba, where the building belongs to a specific community."
"We want to live in peace with persons
of other religions," Archbishop Fitzgerald said. "However, we don't want
to be pushed, manipulated and go against the very rules of our faith."
"If it is a Catholic chapel with
the Blessed Sacrament inside," he said, "it should not be used for prayer
services of another religious tradition."
