Islam and Christianity, the brotherhood of believers

It’s not all bad news. Phew! On February 4, 2019, Pope Francis signed with Ahmad Al-Tayyib, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the Sunni University of Cairo, an unprecedented document on human fraternity, the first of its kind, because it was written together. The Pope and the Grand Imam called for this text to be made known everywhere, from the base to the elites.

Let us recall the essential elements of this declaration: faith in God unites men among themselves and makes them brothers; brothers therefore, they cannot kill each other in the name of God, nor even use violence. To achieve the silence of weapons and hatred, a surge in conscience is necessary, particularly in education for dialogue.

Five years later, a conference took place at the beginning of this month at the place of the signing, at the initiative of a university platform based in Lyon (PLURIEL) which set out to take stock of reading and work generated by this document.

This micro-news is not trivial. It shows that the texts carried by prophetic spirits are not condemned to impotence. Today, dozens of researchers – and behind them, how many students and future managers and fathers? – take seriously the imperative of fraternity which must unite believers. In passing, it can encourage us to reread the encyclical Fratelli tutti that this 2019 meeting inspired in Pope Francis, according to his own words, a text so adapted to our times.

Will this be enough? The paths of fraternity are always to be reinvented! As Professor Michel Younès, dean of the Faculty of Theology of Lyon, at the origin of this event, says, “what becomes of the world without fraternity? » A good question during Lent. The Pope, echoing this, gives suggestions for responding to this in his message addressed to the participants: “Do not be afraid to step out of your disciplines, stay curious, cultivate flexibility, listen to the world, do not be afraid of this world, listen to your brother whom you have not chosen but whom God has placed next to you to teach you to love. »

Not easy, but, I am sure, within the reach of each of us!