Historic visit of Sheikh of Al-Azhar to the Vatican
Pope Francis, the leader of the world's Catholics, met with Ahmed Mohamed Tayyip, the Sheikh of Al-Azhar and Egypt's highest religious authority, at the Vatican. The first meeting between a Sunni religious leader and the leader of the world's Catholics is seen as an affirmation of reconciliation between Islam and Christianity.
The meeting between Ahmed Mohamed Tayyip, Sheikh of Al-Azhar, the highest religious authority in Egypt, and Pope Francis, the leader of the world's Catholics, is the first meeting between the two religious leaders after the Vatican severed ties with Egypt's Al-Azhar University.
Ahmed Muhammad Tayyeb is also scheduled to participate in this year's Conference on Dialogue between Religions and Cultures, which will be held in Paris.
On Monday (May 23), the Pope said during his 25-minute conversation with Ahmed Mohamed Tayyip: "Today's meeting is a message."
The two religious leaders initially embraced, and the Pope presented the Sheikh of Al-Azhar with gifts. One of the gifts was a medallion with an olive branch engraved on it.
The exchange of theological information between the Vatican and Egypt's Al-Azhar University began in 1998. However, this regular relationship was severed by Egypt in 2011. The reason for the strained relationship was the protest of Pope Benedict XVI, the resigned leader of the world's Catholics, against the terror and violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt.
Relations between the Vatican and the Muslim world began to sour after Pope Benedict XVI gave a speech in Regensburg in 2010. In the speech, Pope Benedict XVI quoted a 14th-century Byzantine emperor as saying that Islam had brought only negative things and inhumane acts. It was after these remarks that widespread protests against the pope began in the Muslim world.
Gradually, it improved. At the end of 2013, the first contact between researchers from Al-Azhar University and the Vatican began again.
Ahmed Mohamed Tayyip, Sheikh of Al-Azhar, the highest religious authority in Egypt, is scheduled to participate in the "East and West Cultures in Dialogue" conference to be held in Paris on Tuesday (May 24).
Also participating in this conference is Andrea Ricciardi, the great historian of Christianity and founder of the “Society of Sant’Egidio.” This Italian historian has made many efforts towards dialogue between the world’s religions and civilizations.
The previous conference on this subject was held in Florence, Italy, in June of last year (2015). Ahmed Muhammad Tayyib, Sheikh of Al-Azhar, was also present at that conference.
Last year, Egypt's highest religious authority considered the goals of Al-Azhar University to be in line with the goals of the Catholic Church, saying that the policy of Pope Francis, the leader of the world's Catholics, is fully consistent with the goals of Al-Azhar University.
Ahmed Mohamed Tayyeb went on to say that Pope Francis is "a person who respects other religions in his heart and whose heart beats for the poor."
