Each year, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sends a message to the Islamic community on the occasion of the month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, the feast that concludes it.
The month of Ramadan is a time for spiritual healing and growth, sharing with the poor and strengthening bonds with relatives and friends. The Catholic Church in Melbourne has also extended its good wishes to our Muslim brothers and sisters in a letter from the Episcopal Vicar for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, Fr Denis Stanley.
Dear Muslim Brothers and Sisters,
On behalf of the Most Reverend Peter A Comensoli, Archbishop of Melbourne, together with the Catholic Community in Melbourne, I would like to take the occasion of ‘Eid al-Fitr to offer you our fraternal good wishes for a month rich in blessings and spiritual advancement.
After these continuous lockdown periods and social distancing which constrain all of us from sharing the actual Iftar, the 1442H/2021AD Ramadan is a time in which we might sense our need for divine assistance, but also for expressions and gestures of fraternal solidarity in its numerous manifestations. The simple gestures of a telephone call, a message of support and comfort, a prayer, help in buying medicines or food, receiving a friendly word of encouragement, are all ways of strengthening the bonds we share in Muslim-Christian friendship, as “Witnesses of Hope”, especially in Melbourne.
Our faith traditions invite us to reflect on hope not just as a human attitude but also from the religious perspective: God loves us, and therefore cares for us through divine providence. This is accomplished in God’s own mysterious ways, which are not always comprehensible to us. Hope arises from our belief that all our problems and trials have a meaning, a value and a purpose, however difficult or impossible it may be for us to understand the reasons for them or to find a way out of them. Hope also carries with it a belief in the goodness present in the heart of every person. Therefore, the growing care and concern for the planet, our “common home” is, according to Pope Francis, yet another sign of hope to all of us.
His Holiness, on his visit to Abu Dhabi, issued a joint statement with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar on 4 February 2019. In it, the Holy Father and the Grand Imam spoke on behalf of all people who have lost “their security, peace, and the possibility of living together, becoming victims of destruction, calamity and war”, emphasising that justice and mercy belong to every single human being.
Many times, in situations of difficulty and despair, help and the hope it brings can come from those whom we least expect. Hence, human solidarity, in its numerous manifestations, enabling us to work together and to strengthen each other, becomes a source of hope, especially for those in any kind of need.
We, as humans, are all “invited to renewed hope”. As Christians and Muslims, we are called to be bearers of hope, for the present life and for the life to come, and to be witnesses, restorers and builders of this hope, especially for those experiencing difficulties and despair.
We convey renewed esteem and fraternal greetings with friendly wishes for a peaceful and joyful ‘Eid al-Fitr.
Yours sincerely,
Very Reverend Denis Stanley,
Episcopal Vicar for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations,
Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne
