First Meeting Of The Catholic - Muslim Forum

Pope Benedict meets with Muslim scholars and religious leaders

From 4th to 6th November 2008, an unprecedented three-day Catholic-Muslim summit was held at the Vatican, with leaders of both religions hoping to bring a deeper understanding between the two biggest world religions. The annual meeting includes more than 50 participants and is structured as a mostly closed-door workshop amongst scholars. There are Muslim participants from Saudi Arabia, the United States, Libya, Turkey and elsewhere, representing Sunni and Shi'ite and other major strands of the religion. Catholic experts on Islam are also in attendance. The sessions have been built around the dual commandments in both religions: love of God and love of thy neighbor.