Posts Tagged ‘Inter-religious dialogue’

Catholic Church opens doors to Muslim diners during Ramadan

Thursday, May 6th, 2021
Catholic church Muslim ramadan

A Catholic church in Barcelona has offered up its open-air cloisters for Muslims to eat and pray together during Ramadan. With COVID-19 restrictions preventing Barcelona’s Islamic population from celebrating Ramadan at the usual indoor venues, Santa Anna church came to the rescue. Every evening between 50 and 60 Muslims, many of them homeless, stream into Read more

Pope Francis’ pilgrimage to Iraq improves relations with Muslims

Monday, March 22nd, 2021
trust

Despite the naysayers who opposed the pope’s visit, Pope Francis’ pilgrimage to Iraq (March 5-8) went beyond expectations in achieving the three goals of his trip: showing pastoral solidarity with his suffering Christian flock, calling for peace and reconciliation for the Iraqi people and establishing improved relations between Christians and Muslims. In the run-up to Read more

Teens’ coffee chat over religious beliefs too much for nearby customer

Thursday, September 5th, 2019

Two teenagers having a religious discussion in a Picton cafe were shocked after they were scolded by a member of the public. The woman, who was also dining in the cafe, told them their discussion wasn’t appropriate and they should consider other people’s “comfort zones”. Anna Amos, 17, who is homeschooled in Waikawa, said she Read more

Pope to attend final day of meeting of religious leaders aimed at promoting dialogue and peace

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016

Pope Francis will return to Assisi next month for the closing day of a gathering of religious leaders, aimed at promoting dialogue and peace. It will be his second visit to the birthplace of his namesake in two months, after his ‘private pilgrimage’to Assisi’s Porziuncula Chapel on 4 August. The upcoming visit will form part Read more

Eid al-Fitr – Vatican asks Catholics and Muslims to join hands to help the needy

Tuesday, July 5th, 2016

To mark the festival of Eid al-Fitr New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Interfaith Relations has passed on a message from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) to Muslim communities in New Zealand, along with their own greetings. Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of of Ramadan. Literally the word means the “Festival of Breaking the Read more

Vatican’s hope for Diwali – May the Transcendent Light illumine your hearts

Friday, October 24th, 2014

“May the Transcendent Light illumine your hearts, homes and communities, and may all your celebrations deepen the sense of belonging to one another in your families and neighbourhoods, and so further harmony and happiness, peace and prosperity.” This is the hope expressed by the Vatican Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue as it acknowledges the the Read more

Prayer room ‘just good business’

Tuesday, May 13th, 2014

Employing people from all corners of the globe has many benefits, according to Mt Albert Pak ‘n Save owner-operator Brian Carran. The supermarket won the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust diversity award for innovation in 2005 after Carran set up a prayer room for Muslim staff. “It’s just good business,” he says. “It’s just being a Read more

Islamic Centre opens in Suva

Tuesday, November 19th, 2013

An Islamic Centre has been opened in in Suva. “This centre is purposely for those iTaukei people that want to learn the basics of the Islam faith in the iTaukei language,” says Mohammed Ismail, who is a teacher at the new centre “Another reason we opened this centre is because it is easily accessible to Read more

Papua New Guinea new frontier for expansion of Islam in Oceania

Friday, March 1st, 2013

Papua New Guinea is the new frontier for the expansion of Islam in Oceania says Fr. Franco Zocca SVD, a missionary in Goroka and scholar of Islam at the Melanesian Insitute. Islam arrived in Papua New Guinea about 35 years ago, when a mosque was opened near Kimbe, West New Britain. Islam was officially registered Read more

A Chag Sameach to the NZ Jewish community from NZ Catholic Bishops’ Committee

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012

New Zealand’s Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Interfaith Relations has sent a Chag Sameach to the NZ Jewish community. Chag sameach means “Happy holiday” in Hebrew. Chag is the Hebrew word for holiday, sameach is the Hebrew word for happy. Chag sameach is the traditional greeting among Jews before any holiday. The message reads: Dear Jewish Read more