“Living together well on the grassroots level”
Cardinal of the Curia Walter Kasper visits Bethlehem University

1 November, 2007

“I'm glad to hear that people belonging to different religions and denominations live together so well on a grassroots level here in Bethlehem ,” Cardinal Kasper commented on his visit to Bethlehem University on Monday, 29 September 2007 .

As president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kasper is responsible for questions concerning ecumenism and for the relations between the Catholic church and the Jewish religion. In numerous publications and interviews he advocated the necessity of dialogue between different religions and the various denominations within Christianity. Cardinal Kasper visited the University together with the Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and the occupied territories and Chancellor of the University, Archbishop Antonio Franco, and the Secretary of the Pontifical Council, Fr. Norbert Othman.

After the guests were given a warm welcome by Vice Chancellor Brother Daniel Casey, Vice President for Development, Br. Jack Curran, and the Director of the Brothers Community, Brother Joseph Loewenstein, a lively exchange with students of Bethlehem University ensured. The discussion in which students of many different Christian denominations took part, was moderated by Father Jamal Khader, the Chairperson of the Religious Studies Department at Bethlehem University .

The Religious Studies program, which was founded in 1999 at Bethlehem University provides students with a broad knowledge not only of Christianity, but also about Islam and Judaism. “Knowing more about the other helps them to accept and to respect differences” said Father Khader. Cardinal Kasper commented that “ignorance is the most important enemy of friendship.”
      Cardinal Kasper,
     Br. Daniel Casey

Student Khalil Fawadleh, Fr. Jamal Khader and the students Lina Morcos, Abdel Massel Yunan and Nicola Seriani

Moreover, Cardinal Kasper stated, that dialogue between different persuasions didn't work if it happened “only between professors. Friendship is a base for dialogue.” The students shared their guests many positive experiences they have had with Christian to Christian and Christian to Muslim dialogue in their daily lives.

As it is open for Christians as well as Muslim students, Bethlehem University provides an ideal platform for daily interaction between people of different faith traditions, said Abdel Massel Yunan, who is Latin Catholic and a first year Religious Studies student. Lina Morcos, also Latin Catholic and a third year Accounting student, recalled an Iftar (a daily meal signifying the breaking of the fast during the holy month of Ramadan, which is a yearly Muslim religious observance) to which she was invited together with other Christians by her Muslim friends. “Every one of us has Muslim friends,” Nicola Seriani, a third year Business student added in the name of his Christian fellow students.

Archbishop Antonio Franco and Cardinal Kasper	Bethlehem University Students Stephanie Nasser, Nicola Al Seriani and Khalil Fawadleh

Br. Daniel awards Cardinal Kasper with the Bethlehem       University Medal of Honor

To his great surprise Cardinal Kasper learned that one of the books he authored, “Jesus the Christ” (published in 1974) was being studied by the Bethlehem University students in their Religious Studies courses. The Cardinal was particularly interested to discuss the text with one of the students who had recently taken an exam on this text during his course.

After the discussion with the students, Cardinal Kasper met with additional members of the Faculty and Administration over a luncheon that was served in the Institute for Hotel Management and Tourism. The Cardinal and the faculty discussed the University as well as the impact of the socio-political situation in Bethlehem on the Church's educational mission and the everyday life of students and faculty.

At the end of the visit Vice Chancellor Brother Daniel Casey awarded Cardinal Kasper the Bethlehem University Medal of Honor. Once more, Cardinal Kasper encouraged the University faculty and administrators to continue with their most vital enterprise. “A lot of things that are going on in this region are a shame,” he said. “We have to overcome the past. What I have seen here at Bethlehem University gives me great hope. Your students are the hope for our better future.”

Max Brenner, Bethlehem University