African Continental Synodal Assembly – A Muslim’s Perspective
Hatem expressed his appreciation for this synodal process involving participants from various backgrounds and faiths. Taking the example of himself, the Tunisian recounted his experience of often visiting the historic basilicas that make up the prestigious history of his city, Carthage. This ancient Phoenician city, neighbouring Tunis, has many ruins, remnants of a solid Christian tradition that has given the Church significant figures, like St. Cyprian (3rd century). For Hatem, these basilicas can be revived thanks to this process that takes us back to these distant historical roots. Carthage’s Christian history should therefore inspire the ecumenical process.
By participating in the African continental synodal march, Hatem found his mind going back to what happened in Carthage -a place where some great discussions of Catholicism occurred. Thanks to this historic city, he could not help but also reminisce about the many synods that established specific Catholic doctrine points.
“Walking with you today allows me to go back to this Tunisian antiquity and see that the openness perspective is still alive. With this openness of the Church, we can converge towards common objectives, shared by all religions,” he concluded.
Source: Vatican News
