Allocutio at February 2015 Concilium Meeting by Fr. Bede McGregor. OP
The Legion of Mary and Islam
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Statisticians tell us that the Muslim population is 1.6 billion or roughly 23% of the population of the world. That is a formidable force in the world today; they are seldom out of the news and because of some extreme movements within Islam there is an ever growing hostility towards it in the rest of the world. We cannot just sit back and ignore these facts as though Islam was totally irrelevant to us. We need to know what the attitude and teaching of the Catholic Church is concerning Islam. This must always be the starting point for the Legion’s approach to Islam.
Let me quote from the declaration of the Vatican 11 Council on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions: ‘The Church therefore has this exhortation for her members; prudently and lovingly, through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, and in witness of Christian faith and life, acknowledge, preserve, and promote the spiritual and moral goods found among these people, as well as the values in their society and culture.’ These words express the basic attitude of the Catholic Church to all non –Christian religions. Then the Council goes on to address specific words about Islam: ‘Upon the Muslims too, the Church looks with esteem. They adore one God, living and enduring, merciful and all-powerful, Maker of heaven and earth and Speaker to people. They strive to submit wholeheartedly even to His inscrutable decrees, just as did Abraham, and with whom the Islamic faith is pleased to associate itself. Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere Him as a prophet. They also honour Mary, His Virgin Mother; at times they call upon her too, with devotion. In addition they await the day of Judgement when God will give each one his due after raising him up. Consequently, they prize the moral life, and give worship to God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting.’ These words express the areas of convergence between the two faiths without watering down the profound differences. It is worth noting that at many International Meetings the Islamic world has supported the Vatican on key moral issues despite the hostile attitudes of many secularised countries.
I have cited the teaching of the Church with regard to Islam, but what is the record of the Legion towards Islam? Two important sources are the Handbook and an article by Frank Duff written before the Council Document entitled, ‘Jesus and Mary in the Koran.’ Rather than just quoting long sections from these sources let me put in my own words what I think are the principle convictions contained in them.
First, the profound interest of Frank Duff in Islam has its context in the command of the risen Lord: ‘Go preach the Gospel to every creature.’ This mandate of the Lord defines the apostolate as understood by Frank Duff. It is also the DNA of Legion spirituality. It is also the ultimate reason why the Church itself is called Catholic. It must include all the peoples of the whole world in its outreach. So it is unthinkable that the Legion should neglect to offer the Gospel to 1.6 billion Muslims.
Secondly, it really must be the Gospel that we offer them. It must be truly Good News, the best possible news that any person can hear. So we go back to the Book of Genesis and tell them that they have been made in the image and likeness of God. They were chosen by God to exist; they were loved into existence and God cannot withdraw that love even though we may withdraw from Him in our human freedom. Then we go on to explain the work of redemption. We realise of course that the idea of a Crucified Saviour is abhorrent to the Muslim, but we have to try to explain the Cross is the great sign that the Muslim as indeed every person of whatever faith or circumstance, is infinitely important to God. Surely no one can object for long to being told the truth that they are infinitely lovable to God, no matter how insignificant or unworthy they might think themselves to be. And that’s the Good News.
Thirdly, Frank Duff in his article points out how sacred the Koran is to the Muslim. There is no human instrumentality in its composition and so it demands absolute reverence precisely as God’s word and revelation. So there is a profound providence in the fact that Jesus and Mary have a very prominent place in the Koran. The Muslim already has a great reverence for Jesus and Mary so we are given a great starting point in our contact with our Muslim friends. But the conversion of Islam to the fullness of Christian faith will not take place of itself. Always, human cooperation forms a necessary condition. This is where the Legion comes in and what Mary asks of us with regard to her Muslim children. Not surprisingly, Frank Duff writes: ‘In what follows I try to present a mode of approach to them based more particularly on Our Blessed Lady, whose position in Islam is considerable and extraordinary. She does seem to represent common ground capable of fruitful development both in the order of grace and psychology.’ He points out that Muslims believe in the Immaculate Conception of Mary and the Virgin Birth and have a genuine affection for her.
In the Islamic tradition we read: ‘Every child of Adam is touched by Satan at the moment of birth except the Son of Mary and His Mother.’ So Mary gives us a wonderful entrance into the heart of Islam. However, the question must always be put to ourselves: what are we doing about it in practice?
What triggered this Allocutio for me was the constant thought of our fellow legionaries living in predominantly Islamic countries. In some places Christians and Muslims live in neighbourly harmony and mutual sharing, but in other places there is indescribable suffering and persecution and many legionaries live heroic lives. I ask the whole Legion world to support our legionaries in these dire situations by our prayers, especially the Mass, and in whatever other way we can. St. Gabriel, the Archangel intercede for our Muslim brothers and sisters and all our legionaries who live and work among them, Amen.
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