On May 10, The Lay Centre hosted Cardinal Michael Luis Fitzgerald, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, for the celebration of the Eucharist and dinner. The cardinal in his homily reflected on the journey of Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. The two apostles travel through many cities on their way to Jerusalem and proclaim what God has accomplished through them. They speak about the conversion of the Gentiles and “lobby” for the position they will uphold in Jerusalem, said Cardinal Fitzgerald. While lobbying is a very human behaviour, the Spirit sometimes can be present in it. In this instance, the apostles prepared the way for the Spirit to work.
Cardinal Ftizgerald then reflected on the Gospel of the day, in which Jesus invites his apostles to remain in Him, using the word “remain” no less than 11 times. Many times, people do not experience the blessing of seeing the fruits of their labour. However, they need not be in a hurry and they must allow time for the fruits to grow.
In conversation later that evening, Cardinal Fitzgerald spoke about the Abrahamic Family House, which opened in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, Feb. 16. The site, which consists of a mosque, a Catholic church, a synagogue and an educational centre, was inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity that Pope Francis and Ahmed El-Tayeb signed in 2019. The synagogue is dedicated to Maimonides, a Jewish thinker, the church to St. Francis of Assisi, and the mosque to Imam Al-Tayeb.
In a lively Q&A that followed, the cardinal responded to a question about how to be a missionary today, underlining the importance of a person’s character and how they live their faith. A missionary-minded person will not convince others so much by their words, but by how they live their faith, he said. Before taking on doctrinal discussions, people should befriend others, which is key in order to even talk together in peace, he continued. In response to another question, the cardinal said he perseveres in hope because people are goodhearted in their core. Bad people exist, he said, but the Spirit of God is at work in the world and this is the source of our hope.
He spoke about his background in Christian-Muslim dialogue, prior to joining the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. He recalled a talk he gave in a Muslim institution about spirituality, in which he quoted the Quran, and was asked why he was not Muslim if he spoke so highly about Islamic spirituality. It was only then that he started speaking about Jesus, the Incarnation and the Resurrection. The cardinal said he would not have started on this topic, had he not been asked this question. However, he could not avoid responding with what is at the core of Christianity, after he was asked what he believed.
Contributed: Filip Veber