Mary: A Meeting Point

Now, Religion in the News, a report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media.This week’s item is from Zennit.org, June 29^, 2006 with a headline:Mary a Meeting Point of Cultures, Says Muslim.The following are excerpts:An Egyptian Muslim and deputy director of a prominent Italian newspaper suggested that Mary could be the figure who brings Christians and Muslims together.--------------- of -- ----------------, spoke to Zennis News Service about the appeal he launched in the pages of the National Daily Newspaper to Muslims living in Italy to visit the Marian shrines in their host country.The journalist said that he is convinced that the virgin Mary is a meeting point between Christians and Muslims.Mary is a figure present in the Qur’an, which dedicates an entire Surah to her, and mentions her some 30 times.In Muslim countries there are Marian shrines that are the object of veneration and pilgrimage by Christian and Muslim faithful, he said.Therefore, I believe that if this happens in Muslim countries why can’t it happen in a Christian country, especially in a historical phase in which we need to define symbols, values and figures that unite religions, spiritualities and cultures, he asked.

In Alam‘sopinion the Marian pilgrimage to Italy’s national shrine could represent a moment of meeting and spiritual gathering between Muslims and Catholics around Mary, a religious figure that is venerated by both religions.VictorioMusori, author of book interviews with Pope John Paul ll, and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict the 16^th, also wrote inIl Corio Dela Sera,on June 15, in support of the law.He said that the dialogue between Christians and Muslims can begin afresh from Mary.

Tom:

Dave, as you remember, one of the appearances of the apparition at Medjugorje, her, whatever this might have been, I think it was a demon, but the statement had to do with chiding Christians for not accepting Muslims as their fellow believers.This issue of Mary bringing religious groups together is widespread, all over the world.Apparitions constantly promote this idea.

Dave:

Fulton J. Sheen wrote a book about this in 1952 in which he said that the Muslim world would be converted, not through Christ of course, but through Mary because, as this man said, Mary is mentioned 30 times in the Qur’an.And the Qur’an says---well, of Muhammad favorite wife, Ishaw---Thou, O, Ishaw art the greatest of all women in heaven after Our Lady.So, Muhammad honored Mary, I think it’s 34 times actually in the Qur’an, but anyway he says 30, and that was Fulton J. Sheen way back there.

Tom:

Well, Dave, excuse me, let me just interject this.If our listeners are interested in our article comparing Roman Catholicism with Islam, and took material from many Islamic writers and a woman in particular wrote a book on Mary, and said that from the hadith, this is the traditional writings of Islam, that Muhammad said that he would select Mary as his first wife when he entered paradise.So, it’s an amazing perspective on this apparition, I mean, they are not talking about the Mary of the Bible, in fact the Qur’an has it wrong.They address Mary as Miriam, who is the sister of Moses.

Dave:

Moses and Aaron, and they have Jesus born of the virgin Mary, but under a palm tree.All kinds of problems.So, Tom, wouldn’t that be wonderful?Just think, we could all worship God together.Of course the Qur’an says Jesus is not God, He’snot the Son of God.The Qur’an says if you believe in the Trinity you go straight to hell.The Qur’an says Jesus did not die on the cross---that’s Surah 4170 something or other.Jesus did not die on the cross, in fact, He did not die at all, He was taken alive to heaven, so of course He hasn’t been resurrected.So, the Qur’an denies all the basics of the gospel of Jesus Christ.But of course, we could overlook that, and then we can pretend that everything is okay?You’ve got the wrong Jesus, you’ve got the wrong God, you’ve got the wrong salvation.In fact, you don’t even have salvation, but let’s just overlook these minor differences.It’s an abomination, Tom, that anyone would even think this, but Fulton J. Sheen was very highly regarded, not only by Catholics but by Protestants.And I have seen the ads for his videos today in major magazines, and everyone that I’ve seen there’s a little piece that says, Fulton J. Sheen was the greatest communicator of the century, signed Rev. Billy Graham.Now, Fulton J. Sheen---we quote him in A Woman Rides the Beast---this was his hope of heaven.He said:I visited the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes--- We were just over there a few weeks ago,that’s in the foothills of the Pyroxenes between France and Spain---I visited the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes 30 times, and the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima.Now, Fatima was Muhammad’s favorite daughter, and that was when the Muslims---

Tom:

The wife of Ali, by the way, who the Shiites follow.

Dave:

Right, and that was the name the Muslims gave to this village where Our Lady of Fatima appeared during their vicious occupation where they killed many people.And so, Fulton J. Sheen said--- Of course it will be through Our Lady of Fatima that they will be converted---but back to what he said:I visited the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes 30 times, the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima 10 times, and that gives me hope that when I appear before Jesus, He will say:I have heard my mother speak well of thee.That will give you some idea of the hope of salvation he had.I guess he wasn’t too far from the Muslims.But Tom, it’s just staggering what is happening today, the great delusion.

Tom:

And Dave, irrespective of Fulton J. Sheen, hundreds of thousands of Muslims are attracted to apparitions of Mary, to statues of Mary, and so on, shrines of Mary an so on.

Dave:

I don’t think that’s good.I don’t think they are going to get saved by doing that.