Father Federico Lombardi, spokesman for the Pope, has welcomed the establishment of the headquarters for the King Abdullah Center for Interfaith Dialogue in Vienna, Austria, and said the location in the heart of Europe opens a wide scope for dialogue and understanding. “This step indicates the King's desire for communication to clarify the image of Islam in the West and stimulate communication, tolerance, rapprochement and respect for others,” Lombardi said. Lombardi, who described the meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and King Abdullah in November 2007 as historic, emphasized that King's action to establish a center will foster the values of tolerance, moderation and well-being for humanity. The King's action is an extremely positive step that is consistent with concepts of concern to all parties: dialogue and peace, Lombardi said. In an interview with Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Lombardi said the Papal Committee for Interfaith Dialogue, which is chaired by Cardinal Louis Toran, is working hard to achieve the highest degree of understanding in the sphere of interfaith dialogue and agreements in that regard at a conference in Madrid, Spain in July 2008 and in subsequent conferences. He said the King Abdullah Center for Interfaith Dialogue will have a positive role in intensifying dialogue and noted that the Papal Committee for Dialogue views communication with the Muslim World as something that has become extremely important. Lombardi said interfaith dialogue is taking several forms including communication between officials and prominent Islamic personalities. He referred to a letter from a group of Muslim intellectuals to the Pope in reply to his lecture about Islam at the German University of Regensburg in September 2006. Lombardi affirmed that dialogue is the right path to achieve understanding, tolerance and respect between religions and cultures. Increasing hostility against Islam and “Islamophobia” can be addressed by opening channels of communication, he added. Lombardi, a native of Italy, lauded the logic followed in the Vatican that religion is linked to peace and humanitarianism, which reflects that the King Abdullah Center will foster the values of tolerance, moderation and human well-being. Its goals are consistent with the Papal approach, which considers dialogue between faiths and civilizations to be the correct reply to the struggle between civilizations, he said. He rejected discrimination against religions and condemned violence that carries religion as a weapon. He said the future will bring intensified interfaith dialogue, which will achieve peace for mankind and respect for others.
