Paul KeenanPositive first meeting takes place in Cairo
Egypt – A spokesman for the Catholic Church in Egypt has announced that Rome is set to recommence talks with the Al Azhar University in Egypt, the centre of learning for the Sunni Muslim world. Dialogue had been cut off in 2011 amid perceived slights in the words of the then Pope Beneeict XVI. Fr Rafic Greiche reported that, on December 3, a meeting had taken place at the university between Fr Miguel Ayuso Guixot, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and Abbas Shouman, deputy to Al Azharís grand imam, Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb. "There was a meeting in a positive atmosphere, and both (sides) agreed to continue," Fr Greiche said.