US bishops say Muslims, Catholics share religious freedom concerns

In a statement of support and friendship toward the Muslim community, the U.S. bishops’ ecumenical committee leader encouraged trust and collaboration between the two faiths, especially in the task of defending religious freedom in the public square.

In an Aug. 17 message, Bishop Denis J. Madden, auxiliary bishop of Baltimore, offered his congratulations to U.S. Muslims on the conclusion of Ramadan, their holy month of fasting and prayer.

Bishop Madden, who chairs the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that he took “great joy” in sharing a message from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue with the U.S. Muslim community.

This message, issued Aug. 3 by the council’s president, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, focused on the importance of the “education of young Christians and Muslims for justice and peace,” which cannot be separated from “truth and freedom.”

Young people must be taught about the need for “solidarity and fraternal love” in order to properly build “a culture which respects the dignity and the rights of every citizen,” read the Pontifical Council’s letter.

It noted that only when men and women have the “patience and tenacity necessary for realizing these ideals” will they “be able to build societies where justice and peace will become realities.”

In addition to the message, Bishop Madden added his own greetings to his Muslim brothers and sisters as they conclude their holy month. [More]

SOURCE

CNA