Catholislam

GRAND MOSQUE IN ROME



http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE49T54420081104

By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - "Senior Vatican and Islamic scholars launched their first Catholic-Muslim Forum on Tuesday to improve relations between the world's two largest faiths by discussing what unites and divides them.
The three-day meeting comes two years after Pope Benedict angered the Muslim world with a speech implying Islam was violent and irrational. In response, 138 Muslim scholars invited Christian churches to a new dialogue to foster mutual respect through a better understanding of each other's beliefs.
In their manifesto, "A Common Word," the Muslims argued that both faiths shared the core principles of love of God and neighbor. The talks focus on what this means for the religions and how it can foster harmony between them.
The meeting, including an audience with Pope Benedict, is the group's third conference with Christians after talks with United States Protestants in July and Anglicans last month.
Delegation leaders Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Bosnian Grand Mufti Mustafa Ceric opened the session with a moment of silence so delegations, each comprising 28 members and advisers, could say their own prayers for its success..."

MOURNING
BELLS

The bells?
They stopped years ago
At the Consecrations
Of many a Mass,

Where kneeling down
Their Savior adore,
The people said "...that,
We'll pass."

And now at six
The happy-hour,
When the Angelus
Used to chime

There are no bells
To remind the people
Pray your souls
To prime.

And in the night clubs
Dancing till dawn,
The people sin,
No regret,

And now at six
The mourning hour
Bells die with each passing
Minaret.