by Roberto Catalano
Dialogue between Shiite Muslims and Christians. From 8 to 13 December, Sophia hosted the latest edition of the ‘Week of Unity’, an original experience of interreligious dialogue between students from the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano and those from the holy city of Qum, Iran.
Twenty-eight Shiite Muslim students and teachers and the same number of Catholic students and teachers, including, at various times, a large group of priests who are attending the School of Spirituality of the Focolare Movement at the ‘Vinea Mea’ Centre in Loppiano. These were the participants in the latest edition of the ‘Week of Unity’, which took place from 8 to 13 December last year at Sophia. A courageous and innovative project, born in 2018 from the collaboration between the Sophia University Institute, the Risalat Institute and the International Institute of Islamic Studies in Qum (Iran). It was not just a simple conference, but a workshop in which life and thought were permeated by the challenge of interreligious dialogue between Christianity and Islam, in the hope of helping to form leaders capable of overcoming the divisions that still exist, in order to build a global society in which the experience of God becomes an opportunity to bear witness to unity and peace.
“The general impression,” those present shared in their conclusions, “was that of having participated in a special school that, without a doubt, no one imagined they could attend just a few years ago: the School of God. It felt as if we were accompanied by a silent and enlightening ‘presence’ that led us along unexpected paths, enlightening us, encouraging us and opening new chapters in our brief history of dialogue.”
A story born from an encounter
This story of dialogue stems precisely from an encounter. It was between the then Rector of the Sophia University Institute, Monsignor Piero Coda, and the founder and undisputed leader of the Risalat Institute and the International Institute of Islamic Studies, Sheikh Mohammad Shomali. Together, they sensed the real possibility of an agreement that could bear fruit not only in the academic field but also in the spiritual and interreligious dialogue fields. They formulated what we might call a spiritual ‘pact’ to work together to discover ways of dialogue and collaboration between the Shiite world and the Catholic and Christian worlds more generally.
It is also important to remember that this collaboration did not come out of nowhere. For about twenty years, Dr Shomali had had the opportunity to learn about and deepen his understanding of the spirituality of communion of the Focolare Movement. During his doctoral studies in England, he had met members of the Movement and participated, together with his wife and children, in their activities and initiatives, deepening his understanding of their spirituality and contributing to the dialogue with his experience and sensitivity as a Shiite Muslim. Then, starting in 2010, he began accompanying groups of Iranian students to Rome to offer them the opportunity to learn about Christianity at its world centre. These initiatives also led to a friendship with the Centre for Interreligious Dialogue of the Focolare Movement, based at the International Centre in Rocca di Papa.
Thus, in 2016, ‘Wings of Unity’ was born, not as a project but as an intuition that gradually took shape thanks to life. There are two levels of development: a small scientific committee, composed of some Shiites and some Sophia teachers, and the so-called ‘Week of Unity’, winter or summer schools for students from both sides.
The focus is always on deepening the unity of God and unity in God. This topic takes into account Muslim sensibilities in its first part and Christian sensibilities in its second.
For each edition, a specific topic was chosen for reflection in both the small group and the open school. Together with the cultural and academic approach, the human relationship was also ensured, built day after day and moment by moment. Thus, an experience of dialogue of life and thought has emerged that presents a real novelty in the broad and rich panorama of experiences of Islamic-Christian dialogue.
New developments
In the last two years, this collaboration has been enriched by a new initiative: a month-long stay at the Sophia University Institute for a dozen Shiite students, for whom an introductory programme to Christianity has been developed. This further step has also brought some very positive surprises. The students from Qum have integrated perfectly into both the University Institute and the little town, bringing with them a genuine and profound spirituality and a desire to learn about the Christian faith. This ensures an exchange that enriches both sides and makes Sophia a reality which, although small and still very fragile, fully expresses one of the most charismatic characteristics of Chiara Lubich’s insights, that of dialogue.