Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Youth Day organisers meet Muslims

Islamic leaders have met with the organisers of the Catholic Church-sponsored World Youth Day 2008, and a similar briefing is planned for Jewish leaders.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are expected to descend on Sydney for World Youth Day, which will be held from July 15 to July 20 next year.

Coordinator, Bishop Anthony Fisher said leaders of other Christian faiths had already received briefings on the event.

Bishop Fisher said 17 people - including representatives from the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, local Islamic schools and mosques - attended the most recent briefing.

The Islamic leaders have been asked to inform their followers about the event to help minimise any inter-faith tension, Bishop Fisher said.

"I also asked them to consider taking part in inter-faith forums and volunteering facilities such as large halls," he said.

"Above all, we sought to assure them that World Youth Day is an opportunity for inter-faith cooperation and renewal for all people of goodwill.

"World Youth Day will be a wonderful demonstration of the potential of faith to unite rather than divide our world."

Organisers are expecting 500,000 people to take part in at least one event, including 125,000 international visitors.

The event will also mark the first visit to Australia of Pope Benedict XVI.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce