Dr. Cerić at the 3rd Catholic-Muslim Forum

Dr. Mustafa Cerić will participate in the 3rd Catholic-Muslim Forum, which, under the patronage of Pope Francis, will be held in the Vatican from November 11 to 13 this year, it was announced from Dr. Cerić's cabinet, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP).

The third Catholic-Muslim Forum, as one of the most important links in Christian-Muslim dialogue, just like the previous two, will be dedicated to the theme "Love of God and Love of Neighbor".

A curiosity of the 3rd Forum is that it is also Pope Francis's first such forum, as the previous two were held during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.

The Catholic-Muslim Forum, which brings together leading figures of world Muslim and Catholic thought and religion, was initiated as a reaction to Benedict XVI's speech during his visit to the University of Regensburg in 2006, when, quoting a Byzantine emperor, he compared Islam to violence.

Two years after the Pope's speech in Regensburg, in November 2008, the first Catholic-Muslim Forum was held in the Vatican, as the beginning of an open and friendly Christian-Muslim dialogue, which should reduce tensions and bring the East and West closer.

The Muslim delegation on that occasion was led by Dr. Mustafa Cerić, at the time the Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The second forum was held in 2011 in Jordan.

The themes of the 3rd Catholic-Muslim Forum have not yet been disclosed, but the basic thematic thread of all previous forums has been focused on human dignity and mutual understanding and respect, reports NAP.