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Relations between theCatholic Church and Islam deals with the current attitude of theCatholic Church towardsIslam, as well as the attitude of Islam towards the Catholic Church and Catholics, and notable changes in the relationship since the 20th century.
In the 7th century textConcerning Heresy,Saint John of Damascus namedIslam as Christological heresy, referring to it as the "heresy of the Ishmaelites" (seemedieval Christian views on Muhammad).[1] The position remained popular in Christian circles well into the 20th century, withHilaire Belloc terming it "the great and enduring heresy of Mohammed."[2]
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Since the 20th century, the Catholic church has engaged ininterreligious dialogue with the various confessions in Islam.
Due to geographical proximity, most of the early Christian critiques of Islam were associated with Eastern Christians. TheQuran was not translated from Arabic into theLatin language until the 12th century, when the English Catholic priestRobert of Ketton made theLex Mahumet pseudoprophete translation (Robert was active in theDiocese of Pamplona, not far removed from the Arabic-speakers in theIberian Peninsula). This translation was made at the behest ofPeter the Venerable, while he was at the BenedictineCluny Abbey inFrance, as part of a project to refute its teachings and aid in the conversion of Muslims to Catholic Christianity. The text describesMuhammed as a precursor to the Antichrist and the successor ofArius, a famous Christian heretic. This remained the standard document in the Catholic West until a more complete translation and critique was completed by Fr.Ludovico Maracci in 1698. CardinalNicholas of Cusa in the interim authoredCribatio Alcorani (Critical Study of the Quran) during the 1460s under the reign ofPope Pius II, at a time when tensions with theOttoman Empire were heightened and Pope Pius II wroteMehmed II a letter, attempting to convince him to convert to the Catholic faith.
In the 20th century the attitude of the Catholic Church started to change in the aftermath ofWorld War II and there was a stronger interest in exchange and dialogue. This was sparked among other factors by influential personalities such as the mystic and desert explorerCharles de Foucauld who promoted respect for the Muslim religion Christian-Muslim dialogue and the common living together with Muslims.[3] TheInternational Meetings at themonastery of Toumliline, held between 1956 and 1964, provided a platform for intellectuals as well as Christian, Jewish and Muslim scholars to speak about contemporary issues as well as about faith.[4] At the same time, the AIM (Aid for Implementation of Monasticism) underBenedictine Cornelius Thomsen promoted the interaction of their monks with people of all races and religions and thus opening ways of dialogue.[5]
The question of Islam was not on the agenda whenNostra aetate was first drafted, or at the opening of theSecond Vatican Council. The document was originally intended to be just aboutRabbinic Judaism but as the Council was underway become a statement on Non-Christian religions. Due to the ongoingArab–Israeli conflict, the document garnered the political attention of severalArab, majorityMuslim countries such asEgypt,Lebanon,Syria andIraq.[6] The Arab lobby, led by Egypt, often acted in concert withEastern Catholics and conservativeLatin Church Catholics who wanted the document to be pulled from the council, accusing it of being part of aZionist conspiracy.[6] Their opponents included the AmericanJewish lobby, including theAmerican Jewish Committee,B'nai B'rith and theWorld Jewish Congress, who had the collaboration of most American Cardinals and liberal Latin Church Catholics.[6] By the time of the Second Session of the Council in 1963 reservations began to be raised by bishops of the Middle East about the inclusion of the Jewish issue question. The position was taken that either the question will not be raised at all, or if it were raised, some mention of the Muslims should be made.MelkitepatriarchMaximos IV was among those pushing for this latter position.
Early in 1964Cardinal Bea notifiedCardinal Cicognani, President of the Council's Coordinating Commission, that the Council fathers wanted the Council to say something about the monotheistic religions, and in particular about Islam. The subject, however, was deemed to be outside the competence of Bea'sSecretariat for the Promotion of Christian Unity. Bea expressed willingness to "select some competent people and with them to draw up a draft" to be presented to the Coordinating Commission. At a meeting of the Coordinating Commission on 16–17 April, Cicognani acknowledged that it would be necessary to speak of the Muslims.[7]
The period between the first and second sessions saw the change ofpontiff fromPope John XXIII toPope Paul VI, who had been a member of the circle (theBadaliya) of theIslamologistLouis Massignon. Pope Paul VI referred to Muslims in August 1964 as "worshippers of the One God" who should be admired "for all that is good and true" in their worship,[8] and chose to follow the path recommended by Maximos IV. He therefore established commissions to introduce what would become paragraphs on the Muslims in two different documents, one of them beingNostra aetate, paragraph three,[9] the other beingLumen gentium, paragraph 16: both statements are very similar and overlap,[10] although the reference to Islam in the latter is shorter:
"... the Muslims, who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful God, who on the last day will judge mankind".[11]
The text of the final draft ofNostra aetate bore traces of Massignon's influence. The reference toMary, for example, resulted from the intervention ofJoseph Emmanuel Descuffi, the Latin archbishop ofSmyrna, with whom Massignon collaborated in reviving the cult of Mary at Smyrna. The commendation of Muslim prayer may reflect the influence of the Badaliya.[10] InLumen gentium, the Second Vatican Council declares that the plan ofsalvation also includes Muslims, due to their professed monotheism.[11]
Though there are no monks in Islam, theDIMMID (Dialogue Interreligieux Monastique - Monastic Interreligious Dialogue) has been actively promoting spiritual exchange with both Shia and Sunni Muslims. As such, the first international monastic/Muslim dialogue was organised in 2011 by the DIMMID inSant’Anselmo, attended among others by Iranian scholarMohammad Ali Shomali.[12]
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