PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE SIXTH COLLOQUIUM JOINT DECLARATION OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

(VATICAN) AND THE CENTRE FOR INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE OF THE ISLAMIC CULTURE AND RELATIONS ORGANISATION (TEHRAN, IRAN) Rome, 28-30 A !"# 2008

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue ( atican! an" the Centre for Inter#religious Dialogue of the Isla$ic Culture an" Relations Organisation (Tehran% Iran! hel" their si&th Collo'uiu$ in Ro$e fro$ () # *+ A,ril (++) un"er the -oint ,resi"enc. of /is E$inence Car"inal 0ean#Louis TAURAN% Presi"ent of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue% an" /is E&cellenc. Dr1 2ah"i 2OSTAFA I% Presi"ent of the Isla$ic Culture an" Relations Organisation1 The "elegation of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue 3as co$,ose" as follo3s4
# /is E&cellenc. Arch5isho, Pier Luigi CELATA # /is E&cellenc. Arch5isho, Ra$6i GAR2OU # Re7eren" 2onsignor 8hale" A8AS/E/ # Re7eren" 2onsignor Prof1 Piero CODA # Re7eren" Father Prof1 2ichel F9DOU% S101 # Prof1 ittorio POSSENTI # Dr1 Ilaria 2ORALI The "elegation of the Isla$ic Culture an" Relations Organisation 3as co$,ose" as follo3s4 # /o--at al#Isla$ Dr1 2oha$$a" 0afar EL2I # /o--at al#Isla$ Dr1 2oha$$a" 2AS0ED0A2EI # Dr1 A5"olrahi$ GA A/I # /o--at al#Isla$ Dr1 Se..e" 2ah"i 8/A2OUS/I # /o--at al#Isla$ Dr1 /a$i" PARSANIA # Dr1 Rasoul RASOULIPOUR # 2r1 2ohsen DANES/2AND

The ,artici,ants% 3ith the hel, of si& ,a,ers ,resente" 5. three scholars fro$ each si"e% e&a$ine" the the$e Faith and Reason in Christianity and Islam% 3hich 3as "e7elo,e" through three su5the$es fro$ the ,oint of 7ie3 of Catholics an" Shi:a 2usli$s4 ;! Faith and reason: Which relation? (! Theology/Kalam as inquiry into the rationality of faith; *! Faith and reason confronted with the henomenon of !iolence1 An" the en" of the $eeting the ,artici,ants agree" u,on the follo3ing4 ;1 Faith an" reason are 5oth gifts of Go" to $an<in"1 (1 Faith an" reason "o not contra"ict each other% 5ut faith $ight in so$e cases 5e a5o7e reason% 5ut ne7er against it1 *1 Faith an" reason are intrinsicall. non#7iolent1 Neither reason nor faith shoul" 5e use" for 7iolence= unfortunatel.% 5oth of the$ ha7e 5een so$eti$es $isuse" to ,er,etrate 7iolence1 In an. case% these e7ents cannot 'uestion either reason or faith1 >1 ?oth si"es agree" to further co#o,erate in or"er to ,ro$ote genuine religiosit.% in ,articular s,iritualit.% to encourage res,ect for s.$5ols consi"ere" to 5e sacre" an" to ,ro$ote $oral 7alues1 @1 Christians an" 2usli$s shoul" go 5e.on" tolerance% acce,ting "ifferences% 3hile re$aining a3are of co$$onalities an" than<ing Go" for the$1 The. are calle" to $utual res,ect% there5. con"e$ning "erision of religious 5eliefs1 A1 Generali6ation shoul" 5e a7oi"e" 3hen s,ea<ing of religions1 Differences of confessions 3ithin Christianit. an" Isla$% "i7ersit. of historical conte&ts are i$,ortant factors to 5e consi"ere"1 B1 Religious tra"itions cannot 5e -u"ge" on the 5asis of a single 7erse or a ,assage ,resent in their res,ecti7e hol. ?oo<s1 A holistic 7ision as 3ell as an a"e'uate her$eneutical $etho" is necessar. for a fair un"erstan"ing of the$1

The ,artici,ants e&,resse" their satisfaction 3ith the le7el of the ,resentations an" the "e5ates as 3ell as the o,en an" frien"l. at$os,here "uring the collo'uiu$1 The ,artici,ants 3ere honoure" an" ,lease" to 5e recei7e" at the en" of the collo'uiu$ 5. /is /oliness Po,e ?ene"ict C I% 3ho 3as ,articularl. satisfie" 3ith the choice of the the$e an" the 7enue of the $eeting1 The ne&t collo'uiu$ 3ill 5e hel" in Tehran 3ithin t3o .ears% ,rece"e" 5. a ,re,arator. $eeting1