Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The Catholic Church today celebrates the liturgical memorial of St. Francis Xavier, a Spanish Jesuit missionary considered a pioneer of the spread of Christianity in Asia. Father Victor Edwin SJ, an expert on Islam, relations between Christians and Muslims and interreligious dialogue, told AsiaNews: "At the heart of his mission as a Jesuit among Muslims [he them on his journey to Goa - ed] was an attempt to convey the message of a follower of Christ and a desire to help his Muslim friends to love and encounter Jesus”.
According to the Jesuit priest, the example of St. Francis Xavier "is important for dialogue between Christians and Muslims. He reached out to the people of India, he spread his arms above the Hindus. "
Regarding the glimmers of an opening in dialogue with Muslims, Fr. Edwin SJ says: "In the 9th and 10th centuries the Arab Christian theologians reached out to help Muslims to develop Islamic thought on the firm foundations of 'reason'. I think it is all the more important for Christians to reach out to Muslims to work with them and collaborate with them for confronting the issues that plague Muslims in India; whether it is illiteracy, poverty or violence. I am not advocating a patronizing attitude, but like the 9th and 10th century thinker to work with them on intellectual endeavors".
Fr. Edwin SJ holds a doctorate at the Jamia Millia Islamia, a leading Islamic universities of the country. Regarding his personal experience with Islamic colleagues, he says: "Deep dialogue and religious conversations cannot avoid serious theological questions. While reflecting on possible responses, he came to realize that one should keep within the teaching of the Church so that one’s responses remain Catholic, while being aware of the complexities of the history of Christian-Muslim interactions”.
The priest believes that the " In the past it has only generated heat and never shed light. And in future polemics is not going to be different. Polemics was a model that generated prejudice and bias. It should never be a model for future dialogue ."
Fr. Edwin SJ concludes: " In a similar vein it could be said that compromising one’s faith in not dialogue either. If polemics represents hard heartedness then compromise implies shallowness. In dialogue, we need to be rooted in our faith and remain open to the Spirit of God that is at work within us".