In a demonstration of what the Vatican spokesman called Pope Francis’ “particular attention to relations with the Muslim world,” the pope on Friday personally signed the Holy See message for Muslims at the end of Ramadan, calling for “mutual respect through education” between Christianity and Islam.

“We are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values,” Francis wrote in a statement distributed by the Holy See.

“We have to bring up our young people to think and speak respectfully of other religions and their followers,” said the message, which stressed the enhanced role that education must play in building respect for different religions and the need “to avoid ridiculing or denigrating their convictions and practices.”

“As an expression of esteem and friendship for all Muslims,” Francis decided to personally sign his good wishes to Muslims worldwide on the feast of Id al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of Ramadan, a month of prayer and fasting. Historically, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has delivered the message on behalf of the Holy See. The last pope to send a personal message to Muslims was John Paul II in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf war in 1991.

“It’s not the first time that a pontiff has signed the message by his own hand,” the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said. “But it certainly shows Francis’ particular attention to relations with the Muslim world.”    »»» NYTimes.com

The official catechism of the Roman Catholic Church says:

“841 The Church’s relationship with the Muslims. ‘The plan of salvation
also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place
amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of
Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God,
mankind’s judge on the last day’.”

Source:

That teaching was proclaimed during the Vatican II Council in the 1960s. That Council also declared the following:

“The Church regards with respect the Muslims, who worship the One,
Living, Subsistent, Merciful, Almighty God who created the heavens and
the earth, who spoke to men. They strive to submit wholeheartedly to
God’s commandments…even as Abraham submitted himself to God, whose
obedience is often recalled in the Islamic religion. Although they do
not recognize Jesus as God, they do venerate him as a prophet and they
honour his virgin mother, Mary…. They await the Day of Judgment, when
God will reward all those risen from the dead. They hold in high regard
the moral life and worship God,particularly by prayer, charity and
fasting.”

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