Europe

Bishop Fitzgerald calls for dialogue with Islam

MUNICH—Bishop Michael Fitzgerald, Britain's highest ranking Vatican official, appealed for increased dialogue between Christians and Muslims in Europe, in a speech in Germany last week.

The bishop, who is secretary to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said that Western European countries' attitudes to Muslims in Kosovo and Bosnia were crucial for relations between Christians and Muslims in Europe.

Bishop Fitzgerald called for Western Europe's twelve million Muslims to be involved in Christianity's millennium celebrations and for Christians to be more aware of the plurality and diversity of the world's religions.

Bishop Fitzgerald was speaking at a celebration the twentieth anniversary of the Ecumenical Contact Point for NonChristians (OKNI), an organisation established in 1979 by the then Archbishop of Munich, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.— Kathpress