Catholic Council of Trent

Hagia Sophia Revisited

The popular image of inter-religious dialogue as a compromise between religious views, of reducing faith to a lowest common denominator was significantly absent from the discussion. It was assumed from the start that we were not meeting in order to shrink our religions to fit with the perceptions of those who talked with us around the table. We were there to speak and to listen, ready to learn what we shared but also to recognize the divisions between Catholics and Muslims. This modest first step in the direction of better mutual understanding was to appreciate the “ray of that truth which enlightens all me … found in individuals and in the religious traditions of mankind.” (1)

A correct attitude towards history, its failures and achievements, came up during the discussion. Without a deep knowledge of history, and a willingness to read history from new perspectives, dialogue for future understanding and co-operation would not be possible. From an historical perspective we could better judge the present situation, especially in the light of how Muslims and Catholics have interacted and what cultural contributions each has made to the other.

Perhaps the most significant principle of dialogue, implicit in all of our discussion was the need for religious freedom. It is only in an atmosphere of real respect that dialogue between religions can bear lasting fruit. Any effort to impose truth rather than propose it not only discredits the truth but violates the right of the human person. Young Catholics and Muslims were able to meet and engage in hard questions because such an atmosphere of mutual respect existed. True tolerance is not indifference, but rather confidence that the truth must be accepted freely and without coercion. Our Muslim friends explained to us the Qu’ran as saying that there can be no compulsion in religion and for our part we made it clear that the Christian Gospels and right reason forbid the coercion of conscience in conversion to the faith. (2) Sadly, individual Catholics and Muslims in history were not always faithful to these two clear mandates, nor are they always observed today. It is necessary for Muslims and Catholics committed to truth and dialogue to constantly struggle for the recognition of religious freedom in all parts of the world.
When Turkish forces conquered Constantinople in 1453, the Christian Basilica of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) became a mosque. This sacred site is now also a museum and will be visited by Pope Benedict XVI when the Holy Father makes his pastoral visit to Turkey in late November. Hagia Sophia is a sanctuary rich in the history and symbolism of both faiths. The splendid icons which adorned the basilica during its use as a Christian church were covered when it was taken by the Muslims, for Islam forbids any depictions of the human figure in places of worship. But now the icons have been restored, in part, because of their historical value.

The history of Muslim and Catholic relations is as complex as the history of Hagia Sophia itself. Neither were places of compromise, and it does not seem that they will be in the future. But both Hagia Sophia, the mosque with newly uncovered icons, and Muslim-Catholic relations with the new impetus from Pope Benedict XVI can be places of dialogue.

At Trent University we were trying to draw from centuries of history and the developments in recent months. To revisit Hagia Sophia and see if we can learn from it the words of the Qu’ran referred to that evening stand out “that the nearest of those in friendship to those who believe [Muslims] are they who say, ‘We are Christians’” (5:82)

(1) Second Vatican Council, Declaration on the Church’s Relations to Non-Christian Religions Nostra Aetate, 2.
(2) Dignitatis Humanae, 11.