The intense heat of mid-July in Rome was no obstacle to Muslims and Christians spending a week together, in moments of dialogue, shared reflection and visits to historical sites in a program organized by The Lay Centre for students from Cambridge Muslim College (U.K.) and the Center for Islamic Theology at Tübingen University (Germany).
The program, which was last held in 2019, before the pandemic, was resumed on an experimental basis this year, with some changes in format, timing and organization. Some 23 participants stayed at The Lay Centre's facilities and were accompanied to different appointments from July 15-19.
During these days, they had meetings with Catholic and Muslim leaders. They were able to compare their culture and religious practices with those of Christians. They also had opportunities to learn more about the reality of Islam in Italy.
From Christians, they heard about social projects of Catholic institutions, such as Jesuit Refugee Service and the Community of St. Egidio, examples of initiatives that combat human trafficking and promote peace in countries where there is war.
Two highlights of the program were, in addition to the visits to St. Peter's and St. Paul's Basilicas Outside the Walls, a tour of the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo – a dialogue on Faith and Science – and an informal meeting with the German ambassador to the Holy See about religion, diplomacy and international politics. The program included:
- Welcome dinner with Elena Dini, senior program manager of the John Paul II Center for Interreligious Dialogue, and Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald, expert on Christian–Muslim relations;
- Overview of Key Church Documents: Nostra Aetate, Human Fraternity, Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti, by Dr. Filipe Domingues, The Lay Centre’s then deputy director;
- Visits to St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, and the Basilicas of St. John the Lateran and “San Clemente”, with Christiaan Santini, M.A. in Art History, official tour guide and Lay Centre operations manager;
- Session at UISG with Wail Halou, from Syria, financial officer for Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS); Blessing Okoedion, who was a victim of trafficking and now is an inspirational voice in the fight against modern slavery; and Dr. Mauro Garofalo, Head of International Relations of the Community of Sant’Egidio;
- Visit to the Vatican Observatory with Fr David Brown, SJ, Vatican astronomer specializing in stellar evolution;
- Spiritual visit to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, with Fr. Edmund Power, OSB, their former abbot;
- Session on “Some reflections on Louis Massignon’s approach to Islamic Mysticism,” by Prof. Gloria Samuela Pagani, associate professor of Arabic language and literature at the University of Salento (Lecce, Italy);
- Session on “Identities of ambiguity: the strange place(s) of Muslims in Italy,” by Prof. Francesca Bocca-Aldaqre, who directs the Averroes Institute of Islamic Studies in Piacenza (Italy) and is co-founder and teacher at the Islamic Institute of Advanced Studies;
- Session at the residence of the German Ambassador to the Holy See, H.E. Ambassador Bernhard Kotsch, with the presence of Dr. Anabel Inge, deputy head of mission at the British Embassy to the Holy See;
- Closing dinner and dialogue with Dr. Yahya Pallavicini, the Imam of the Al-Wahid Mosque in Milan, on the situation of Islam in Europe and open doors for dialogue.