Pope Francis receives Abrahamic Family House Delegation in Vatican
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
Pope Francis received on Monday a delegation from the Abrahamic Family House in the Vatican. The House is a single complex which encompasses in the United Arab Emirates' capital of Abu Dhabi, a synagogue, a church and a mosque.
The unique structure, inaugurated in early 2023, promotes and further facilitates the living out of interreligious coexistence and harmony laid out in the historic 2019 Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.
During the audience, Pope Francis thanked the delegation, which was led by the President of the Abrahamic Family House, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, for their efforts in realizing the aspirations of the Document.
At the encounter were also representatives from the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
Abrahamic Family House
The Abrahamic Family House, which came to fruition following the Pope's historic visit to the Emirates in February 2019, which made him the first Pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula, embodies the principles outlined in the Document on Human Fraternity.
Located in the Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi, the Abrahamic Family House is a centre for learning, dialogue and faith.
The three Houses of Worship it encompasses are the His Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb Mosque, the St Francis Catholic Church, which is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, and the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue.
Since opening in 2023, the Church has welcomed 130,000 worshippers for services and prayers, and has hosted more than 100 events, including marking important moments in the Christian liturgical calendar and celebratory occasions such as weddings and baptisms.
Moreover, the delegation made a symbolic presentation of St. Francis Church, located within the Abrahamic Family House, expressing appreciation of the Pope and Catholic Church’s commitment to advancing interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence worldwide.
Human Fraternity
That Document on Human Fraternity was co-signed by the Pope and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi, who similarly received a delegation from the Abrahamic Family House on 20 October.
In its text, which would build the foundation for the Pope's subsequent Encyclical on Human Fraternity Fratelli Tutti, the Pope and Grand Imam of Al Azhar called for peace and respect among all people and encouraged all faiths to pursue dialogue, mutual respect, and collaboration.
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