Pope meets Cardinal Nichols with UK Muslim leaders

The historic meeting

Source: Vatican Radio/CCN

Pope Francis today met with Cardinal Vincent Nichols and four Muslim leaders from Britain who came to highlight the deep-rooted interfaith relations among the different religious communities in the UK.

For the past three decades, Nichols and other Catholic leaders have been working to develop strong ties with local Muslim communities. Among some of the practical, grass roots initiatives that have resulted are the setting up of shared food banks for the needy and the welcoming of newly arrived refugee families.

Just two weeks ago, Cardinal Nichols stood side by side with the Archbishop of Canterbury plus Muslim and Jewish leaders in London to condemn the terror attack at the Houses of Parliament. As prayers were said for the victims, the cardinal read out a message from Pope Francis offering condolences to the grieving families and solidarity with the whole nation.

In an interview with Philippa Hitchen from Vatican Radio, Indian-born Moulana Muhammad Shahid Raza, began by saying they were bringing a message of "thanks and gratefulness for the kindness and sympathy the Muslim community has always received from Vatican". He also highlighted their "great appreciation" for Cardinal Nichols and the Catholic Church in the UK which made the audience possible.

The Cardinal noted that Muslim leaders like Muhammad Shahid Raza have been working on interfaith relations in Britain for the past 30 years and he hopes the papal audience will serve to encourage that work. He also thanked the Pope for his message of solidarity following the incidents in Westminster two weeks ago.

Moulana Syed Ali Raza Rizvi, originally from Pakistan, said: "when people see the reality of faith leaders together," it shows clearly that "what a few criminals are doing is different to what faith leaders are saying". Standing together, he says, "has a very positive reflection" showing that faith does not divide, but rather it unites people. He noted that "in difficult times, people look to faith communities" and the projects that Muslims and Christians are working on together, especially with refugees "gives a very positive image of faith in the 21st century". In recent years, he said, the Cardinal has helped "not just to bring us together but to create a friendship and that has made us increasingly respectful of each other and our communities".

Cardinal Nichols said he and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby are seeking to "create a platform from which the Muslim voice can be heard in the UK" . Following the recent terror attack, he said, "Muslims all over the country stood up and said not in our name, Islam is a religion of peace and we condemn these actions" but that voice is not heard. He said he hopes that one of the tangible results of the papal audience will be "the right amplification of this voice in our midst".

Following the Papal Audience and the meetings in the Pontifical Council, the delegation visited the UK Embassy to the Holy See.