" . . . the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Vatican's premier training ground for priests and others entering religious life . . . "

April 8, 2007

KEEPING THE FAITH

By Russell Shorto

On the other hand, there is a sense in which Christians and Muslims in Europe see themselves as being in the same boat. I spent time in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Vatican's premier training ground for priests and others entering religious life, in order to learn about a program, begun in 2000, that brings graduate students from the Muslim world to study Christianity alongside seminarians. The purpose is not to convert the Muslims. "The aim is that they will go back to their own country and speak of their experience here and testify that something different is possible," said Gaetano Sabetta, who works in the program, and by "something different" he meant a new model of cooperation and understanding as both faiths grapple with secular culture.

The Muslim students say they feel bewildered by Italian society but are comfortable at the Gregorian itself. "Within the university, the atmosphere is very religious," says Omar Sillah, a student from Gambia. "It feels natural to me, as a religious Muslim. But as soon as you step outside the premises, it's a different world." Ahmet Kademoglu, from Istanbul, says ". . . Religion is where I find answers to the problems of life."

Kademoglu brought my attention to a significant paradox. His home, Turkey, is a secular country where studying Arabic is problematic, but the language is offered at the Gregorian. "Here I spent three years learning the language of the Koran and did it alongside priests and nuns who wanted to understand my religion," he said. This seems to be what the pope had in mind . . . when he talked about the Catholic Church's blending of reason and faith. "Christian worship . . . is worship in harmony with the eternal word and with our reason," Benedict said. His choice of name reflects his emphasis on the intellectual tradition of St. Benedict, whose religious order preserved knowledge in Europe through the Middle Ages. Catholicism, for Benedict, has always been about study, intellect, reason. "We are part of the modern world," he says in effect. "We do reason. We study other faiths. We'll even teach you Arabic."

Russell Shorto, a contributing writer, frequently covers religion for the magazine. His last article was about the battle over contraception.

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