Firm in its mission to promote a culture of dialogue for Christians and Muslims to live with one another in a spirit of understanding, respect and acceptance, the Archdiocese of Zamboanga has established a forum consisting of priests, pastors and ulamas.
Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo G. Valles expressed his appreciation of the initiative, saying he is happy of the project as he met with the priests, pastors and ulamas at the Sacred Heart Center on May 28.
“Your involvement in this group expresses our common commitment to inter-religious dialogue. This is part of the mission of the Catholic Church and I emphasized it when I arrived in Zamboanga City and considered it as a key area in my program,” Valles said.
The Priests-Ulama-Pastors Forum (PUPF) is being established in the same spirit as the Bishops-Ulama conference on the Mindanao level. However, PUPF is autonomous of BUC and of other groups that have similar orientation.
With promotion of dialogue as its specific mission, the forum will be directed by three convenors that will represent the Catholic Church, Islam and other Christian denomination.
Additional three members will come from each faith group to make up the PUPF core group of twelve. The Silsilah Dialogue Movement, an association that promotes “deeper understanding between Muslims and Christians,” acts as the group’s secretariat.
The formation of the PUPF is seen as significant step in the promotion of dialogue and in consolidating “linkages with other groups, institutions and movements in Zamboanga City that have programs of interfaith dialogue.”
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