Vatican City, May 26, 2010 / 11:35 am
L'Osservatore Romano reported several hopeful encounters the Holy Father had after Wednesday's general audience in St. Peter's Square. Hopes for improved inter-religious relations were brought to the Pope by a Muslim-Catholic joint delegation from Canada and a Catholic archbishop located in Moscow.
Leaders of the Sunni, Sciite and Druze communities of Lebanese descent now residing in Canada told the Pope that "Co-existence between Christians and Muslims is possible" and is the key to peace in the Middle East.
"Our faiths are different but don't oppose each other and our experience in Canadian society tells us that it is fundamental to get to know each other and learn to coexist," they said.
The Maronite Bishop of Montreal, Joseph Khoury, who was also there on Wednesday with the Canadian Muslim group, highlighted the historic quality of the inter-religious initiative.