Italian Bishops&#039; Conference Delegates in Abu Dhabi, 8-12 February 2025, Article by AgenSIR

Italian Bishops' Conference Delegates in Abu Dhabi, 8-12 February 2025, Article by AgenSIR

February 13, 2025

Here is a translation of the article of AgenSIR, Italian information Agency.

or to read the original article in Italian, click here.

CEI delegation in Abu Dhabi, "Religions can become a leaven of fraternity and a seed of social cohesion"

From 8 to 12 February, a delegation of the CEI was in Abu Dhabi for the meeting “Formation and exchanges in the context of the Document on Human Fraternity and its receptions”. The training trip was organized by the Offices for interreligious and ecumenical dialogue of the CEI and of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, and by St Francis Church, which is part of the Abrahamic Family House.

“Being here in Abu Dhabi and in particular in the Abrahamic Family House, is being inside a dream that is taking shape. I think it is important for all of us to be here because it is to see that it is possible to believe that religions can become a leaven of fraternity and can coexist with a common desire: to be in the public space together to be a seed of social cohesion. It is a beautiful dream. We want to bring it home, to Italy”. With these words, Msgr. Derio Olivero, bishop of Pinerolo and president of the Episcopal Commission for Ecumenism and Dialogue, presents the experience recently lived by a delegation of the CEI that was in Abu Dhabi from 8 to 12 February for the meeting “Formation and exchanges in the context of the Document on Human Fraternity and its receptions”. The training trip was organized by the Offices for interreligious and ecumenical dialogue of the CEI and of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, and by St Francis Church which is part of the Abrahamic Family House. Bishop Olivero looks to the next Assembly of the CEI which will be dedicated to the theme of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue. And he says:

“It will certainly be important to tell this experience to the Italian bishops and also tell them that a different perspective on how to be church, how to be dialogue and how all this can be important for Italian society is possible.”

“We are spending some very beautiful days here in Abu Dhabi, together with the regional representatives for interreligious and ecumenical dialogue of the Italian Episcopal Conference,” says Msgr. Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia. “These are precious days for us as the Church in the Gulf, as Apostolic Vicariate. They are moments of exchange, of encounter, of mutual account, of sharing experiences. We are enriched by hearing the experiences that those who are in charge of promoting interreligious and ecumenical dialogue are living in Italy, and on the other hand, it is very interesting for us to be able to share the experiences that we have been having for some time now in this part of the world.”

“These are occasions that show us how the encounter, the dialogue, the common path between people of different faiths are a significant contribution to the good of society, to the promotion of a more fraternal, more humane, more just society, capable of promoting the common good and peace for all”.

The hope – adds Msgr. Martinelli – is that “in the future other Episcopal Conferences can also send their representatives here to share experiences and above all to be able to train more and more to an interreligious and ecumenical dialogue that shows how religious experience is essential to promote good in the world”.

In addition to the moments of exchange, testimonies and good practices both in Italy and in the territory of the Vicariate, the CEI delegation was able to visit the main places of worship in the United Arab Emirates: Churches of multiple Christian denominations, Mosques, Hindu and Sikh Temples and Synagogue. Father Stefano Luca, head of the Office for Interreligious and Ecumenical Dialogue of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, explains that the methodology designed for this "training" is to combine in-depth sessions on theological thought with on-site visits and meetings with religious leaders, with "those who take care of these places", for an experience of dialogue that is not only theoretical but also "embodied". The CEI delegation visited in particular the Abrahamic Family House (AFH) which "represents a significant reception of the Document on Human Fraternity, signed on 4 February 2019 by His Holiness Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Ahmad Muhammad al-Tayyib in Abu Dhabi. "Being here today for me - confides Don Giuliano Savina, director of the CEI Office for Dialogue - is a fundamental sign of how prophetic the document on Human Fraternity is not only for the Christian churches but also for humanity. Being here is already a sign of reception of this document".