Welcome Muslims, but Don't Forget the Gospel
Oct 26, 2004
Patriarch of Venice Addresses Congress on Islam
(Zenit, Nov. 10, 2000) Venice - Italy should give a prudent welcome to Muslim immigrants, but respect for cultural integration should not mean fear of proclaiming the Gospel, a cardinal said.
Cardinal Marco Cé, in his opening address to a congress organized by the Italian Federation of Catholic Weeklies (FISC), said that between Christians and Muslims in Italy "the path is not rancorous argument, but a fraternal -- and at the same time responsible and wise -- welcome."
He said that there should be enough time given for "real integration."
The congress, entitled "Islam in Our Midst: From Fear to Comparison," began Thursday in Venice and concludes Saturday. Cardinal Cé's address attracted 300 journalists.
"We cannot hide the historical and cultural differences," said the cardinal, who is patriarch of Venice. "However, in the past these have not impeded a symbiosis of civilizations, as in the European Middle Ages," when "all culture was nourished by contributions from Christianity and Islam."
Today, he pointed out, "in our country, in our cities, where the flow of migrations bring ever more numerous Muslim guests, many say disconsolately that the future will only bring conflict. We do not shut our eyes to difficulties, but we hold on to God's announcement to Abraham: prosperity and greatness for the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac."
Cardinal Cé on Thursday expressed the hope that "the Muslim immigrant might be welcomed not only in a tolerated ghetto, but with a real organic and effective effort of integration, based on a network of reciprocal rights and duties guaranteed by law."
He appealed for mutual respect, "always with the rigorous and humble affirmation of our religious identity, and in the awareness of our duty to share the great gift that has been given to us in the Gospel."
The road is not easy, he acknowledged: "This is a new culture that must be acquired: coexistence in diversity." But he cautioned: "Integration cannot mean forgetfulness of one's religious identity, or fear of the free proclamation of the Gospel."
Welcome Muslims, but Don't Forget the Gospel