India: Exploring Shia-Catholic dialogue in New Delhi

l-r: Dr Syed Alizadeh Musavi, Dr Ali Rabbani, Ayatollah Mahdi Mahdavipour, Joseph Victor Edwin SJ, Vinay Kumar Ekka SJ

Iran Culture House, New Delhi organized a luncheon to explore Shia and Catholic dialogue in Delhi. The organizers invited Joseph Victor Edwin SJ, Secretary, Islamic Studies Association, Delhi to participate in the meeting in which Ayatollah Mahdi Mahdavipour, Representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran Grand Ayatullah Khamenei in India, Dr. Ali Rabbani, Cultural Counselor of Iran in India and Dr. Syed Alizadeh Musavi, Cultural Advisor to the Ambassador of Iran in India were present.

In the conversation, Ayatollah Mahdavipour reminded his Christian dialogue partners of Pope Francis's historic meeting with the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani during his historic visit to Najaf in March 2021. He pointed out that the meeting between the Pope and the Grand Ayatollah teaches us that we must cultivate mutual respect and enter into dialogue with prudence.

"We must find common grounds", he emphasized. "Shii Muslims and Catholic Christians must seek to sustain and develop dialogue and conversation between these two traditions from our foundations", said Dr Ali Rabbani. "We must take initiatives to understand one another's faith traditions whilst maintaining theological integrity of these two respective traditions", pointed out Dr Syed Alizadeh Musavi.

Fr Victor Edwin pointed out that, in the past, Jesuit Father Victor Courtois (d. 1960) had successfully explored Catholic-Shia relations in India. Fr Courtois was an active member of the Iran Society, Calcutta and he did much for this association, even becoming its Secretary and Vice-President. He also obtained the collaboration of the best Muslim scholars to publish two important and learned works: Al-Biruni Commemoration Volume (AH 362 - AH 1362) and Avicenna Commemoration Volume (AH 370 - AH 1370). He edited both volumes on behalf of the Iran Society, Calcutta. The Iran Government recognized his work and presented him with a Silver Medal, in 1959 in appreciation of his services in promoting Indo-Iranian cultural relations.

Fr Victor presented his little volume on A New Spirit in Christian-Muslim Relations in India: Three Jesuit Pioneers to the Iranian dignitaries.