Muslim group attends Catholic Mass in Malaysian "breakthrough"
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Kuching, Malaysia, Oct 26, 2007 / 11:24 am (CNA).- A Muslim group's recent visit to a Catholic Church in Malaysia is being called a breakthrough in grassroots interreligious dialogue.

On October 14, ten Muslims sat in the pews at Mass at Holy Trinity Church in Kuching.  Several Church sources told UCA News they were sure this had not happened in the history of the Archdiocese of Kuching and had not heard of it happening anywhere else in Malaysia either.

Malaysia is a majority-Muslim country.  Out of a population of 26 million people, 60 percent are Muslim, 19 percent are Buddhist, 9 percent are Christians and 6 percent are Hindu.

Christians and Muslims commonly believe that Muslims are forbidden even to enter a church.  Led by Shah Kirit Kakakul Govindji of the Islamic Information and Services Foundation, the Muslim visitors initiated the visit themselves.  Shah Kirit explained that the purpose of the visit was to discover similarities and common traditions shared by Muslims and Christians, and to respectfully "agree to disagree" on differences.  

Archbishop John Ha Tiong Hock of Kuching supported the visit.

After Mass the parish priest invited the visitors and the parish council to breakfast and a session of interreligious dialogue.  The Muslim visitors asked about the various denominations of Christianity, training for the Catholic priesthood, the Church's ministries and apostolic work, and Christ's Second Coming.

One parish council member said the meeting created "a sense of amazement."

At the request of the parish, Shah Kirit promised to send them English-language copies of the Qu'ran.  The two groups have discussed a reciprocal visit by Catholics to a mosque.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: Ivo da C.Souza
Goa, India 07/27/2008 04:06 PM EST
I am happy to read about dialogue of the Catholic Church with the Muslim community. I do congratulate the Archbishop John Ha, whom I came to know in Rome and admired for his gifts of heart and mind.
I have been also working for dialogue with the Hindu community over here while I was a Professor of Biblical Exegesis and Sociology in the Patriarchal Seminary of Rachol, Goa. Now I am involved in the biblical work residing in the city parish of Margao. May the Church in Malaysia prosper and shed light on all the people around!.
Fr.Ivo da C.Souza
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Published by: Yonder Rock
Philippines 11/07/2007 08:24 AM EST
It's hard not to be skeptical. I was once in a public meeting and the opening prayer was given by a Muslim Priest (Imam or whatever he is called), and when translated his chanted prayer actually said "O Allah, destroy all who do not bow before you....!" Catholics cannot bow to Allah as their Allah is not our Triune God, the one and only God, Who Alone we must worship.
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Published by: Francis Rufus Fernandez
Vancouver,Canada 10/28/2007 12:20 AM EST
Hope they had good intentions by visiting a church. Did they accept Bibles from the Church or is the promise to send Korans the only deal? I am sceptical about their move.
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Published by: Marian
Memphis, TN USA 10/26/2007 02:49 PM EST
"What fellowship hath light with darkness? Or justice with injustice?" II Corinthians VI.xiv

Have no fellowship, not only with heretics, but with infidels.
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