In a groundbreaking initiative aimed at fostering interreligious understanding, Catholic delegates from Italy and the Arabian Peninsula gathered in Abu Dhabi for a weeklong program on religious coexistence. The course, titled “Training and Exchanges in the Context of the Human Fraternity Document and its Receptions,” sought to provide firsthand experience of how different faiths can peacefully coexist in the United Arab Emirates.
“This was not just a theoretical exercise,” said Capuchin Father Stefano Luca, the course’s creator and Director of the Interfaith and Ecumenical Dialogue Office of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. “Through training sessions and site visits, we wanted participants to witness the reality of interfaith harmony and learn best practices for dialogue.”
The February 8-12 program took place at St. Francis Church in the Abrahamic Family House, a multi-faith complex inspired by the Human Fraternity Document signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb in February 2019, under the auspices of the United Arab Emirates. It brought together 15 regional delegates from 11 ecclesiastical regions of the Italian Bishops’ Conference and five representatives from the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, including the UAE, Oman, and Yemen. The vicariate, with its 100 priests of various religious institutes, 80 nuns, and hundreds of trained volunteer catechists, serves the more than two million Catholics in the Arabian Peninsula, primarily foreign workers from diverse nations and cultures.
A firsthand experience of religious harmony
Each day combined academic discussions with immersive experiences. Delegates attended presentations by theologians and experts before visiting key religious sites, engaging with leaders from Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and Sikh communities.
“The special thing about this experience,” said Father Stefano, “was that in every religious site we visited, we met faith leaders, held interfaith dialogue sessions, and gained direct insight into the UAE’s model of peaceful coexistence.”
The itinerary included the four houses of worship in the Abrahamic Family House—a Catholic church, a mosque, a synagogue, and the interfaith Workshop Forum. Delegates also visited Sikh and Hindu temples, Greek Orthodox, Coptic, and Anglican churches, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the largest in the world.
A highlight was a Sunday visit to St. Joseph Catholic Church, where delegates participated in Masses and observed catechism classes attended by thousands of faithful.
“They were overwhelmed by the devotion, enthusiasm, and faith they witnessed,” Father Stefano explained. “Seeing over 25,000 hosts distributed at Masses each weekend in a migrant community of more than 100 nationalities was an eye-opening experience.”
Lessons from the Gulf’s Catholic experience
The program also provided an opportunity to discuss the unique challenges of the Catholic Church in the Gulf, where all clergy and faithful are migrants.
“It was valuable to exchange experiences with those responsible for interreligious dialogue in Italy,” said Italian Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, who led several discussions. “At the same time, we shared what we have learned in this region, where peaceful coexistence is a daily reality.”
One key session featured Armenian Orthodox Archbishop Mesrob Sarkissian, who outlined the ecumenical movement’s progress in the region. The group explored how migration has shaped religious communities, the historical presence of Christianity in the Gulf, and the role of dialogue in maintaining harmony.
Looking ahead: Expanding the initiative
The success of the course has motivated its organizers to expand the initiative. The next assembly of the Italian Bishops’ Conference will focus on ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, providing an opportunity to share insights from this experience.
“It will certainly be important to present this experience to the Italian bishops,” said Bishop Paolo Martinelli. “We want to show them that a different perspective on being Church, engaging in dialogue, and understanding its significance for Italian society is possible.”
Looking ahead, Bishop Martinelli hopes that the initiative will extend beyond Italy. “In the future, we would love to welcome representatives from other Episcopal Conferences,” he said. Sharing experiences and, above all, strengthening interreligious and ecumenical dialogue is essential. Religious experience has a crucial role in promoting the common good in the world. ” He added, “This experience is not just about theory—it’s about seeing what is possible when faiths genuinely engage with each other.”
The UAE experiment
With religious tensions rising in many parts of the world, the UAE’s interfaith model offers a powerful counterexample—one that, according to Father Stefano, demonstrates “that coexistence is not just an aspiration, but a lived reality.”
Since its establishment, the United Arab Emirates has been trying to promote the concept of “tolerance” in all areas, inspired by the words of its founder, Zayed Al Nahyane. This is illustrated by its constant balance between an Arab and Muslim state, which is attached to traditions, and a certain intolerant conservatism that contrasts with the declared desire to welcome all cultures of the world for economic, financial, and tourist purposes.
This notion of tolerance has been part of the UAE’s rhetoric since 2016 and manifested by a surprising openness to different customs while expressing a genuine attachment to the tribal traditions of the seven emirates that constitute the state. A decisive step in terms of action was taken in 2019 when Mohammed bin Zayed declared it the “Year of Tolerance.” He wanted to ensure that the UAE exported the concept of religious tolerance regionally. Playing on the spirit of emulation and competition between the Gulf monarchies, he aimed to make his country a source of inspiration for its neighbors.
Reproduced with permission by La Croix International.
