St. Francis Meets with Sultan Malik al–Kamil: A Paradigm of Post–Conciliar Interreligious Dialogue

Abstract

Tolerance and acceptance of others, and also of those different from ourselves, are the foundation for peaceful coexistence which must continually be re–established. Nowadays, these relationships are challenged through radical socio–political and religious agitation. Hence, the author examines the position of St. Francis in his dialogue with Islam in terms of a foundation for the Church’s speech on dialogue
and interreligious tolerance. These are the basis for true peace on a world level, as are some elements of the Quranic message which Islam, as the religion of peace, puts forward. The author first examines Franciscan sources which highlight the encounter between St. Francis and the Egyptian sultan Malek al–Kamil. This encounter seems, in a contemporary context, to provide an answer to the question of the possibility of a meeting during the Crusades. Therefore, the author looks into some features of the life of both participants in the dialogue in order to demonstrate their paradigmatic value which extends beyond the medieval context.