Roman Catholicism in Iran
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Church in Iran is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
and Curia
in Rome
.
There are just 13,603 Catholics in Iran
- out of a total population of almost 70 million. They follow the Chaldean
, Armenian
and Latin Rites.
In October 2010, an Iranian official delivered a letter from President Ahmadinejad to Pope Benedict XVI in which the President said he hoped to work closely with the Vatican to help stem religious intolerance, the breakup of families and the increase of secularism and materialism. A return letter from Pope Benedict was hand-delivered by His Eminence, Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran
, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
, according to Passionist Father Reverend Ciro Benedettini, Vice-Director of the Vatican Press Office in a statement issued November 10, 2010. The papal letter's contents were not disclosed. Cardinal Tauran met personally with the Iranian leader while Tauran was participating in a three-day meeting on Muslim-Christian relations, along with Iranian Catholic leaders. The meeting was a joint initiative of the Vatican Interreligious Council and the Teheran-based Islamic Culture and Relations Organization.
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
There are just 13,603 Catholics in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
- out of a total population of almost 70 million. They follow the Chaldean
East Syrian Rite
The East Syrian Rite is a Christian liturgy, also known as the Assyro-Chaldean Rite, Assyrian or Chaldean Rite, and the Persian Rite although it originated in Edessa, Mesopotamia...
, Armenian
Armenian Rite
The Armenian Rite is an independent liturgy. This rite is used by both the Armenian Apostolic and Armenian Catholic Churches; it is also the rite of a significant number of Eastern Catholic Christians in the Republic of Georgia....
and Latin Rites.
In October 2010, an Iranian official delivered a letter from President Ahmadinejad to Pope Benedict XVI in which the President said he hoped to work closely with the Vatican to help stem religious intolerance, the breakup of families and the increase of secularism and materialism. A return letter from Pope Benedict was hand-delivered by His Eminence, Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran
Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran
Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran is a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in the Roman Curia, was elevated to the cardinalate in 2003, and is the current Cardinal Protodeacon.-Biography:Born in Bordeaux,...
, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue is a dicastery of the Roman Curia, erected by Pope Paul VI on 19 May 1964 as the Secretariat for Non-Christians, and renamed by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988....
, according to Passionist Father Reverend Ciro Benedettini, Vice-Director of the Vatican Press Office in a statement issued November 10, 2010. The papal letter's contents were not disclosed. Cardinal Tauran met personally with the Iranian leader while Tauran was participating in a three-day meeting on Muslim-Christian relations, along with Iranian Catholic leaders. The meeting was a joint initiative of the Vatican Interreligious Council and the Teheran-based Islamic Culture and Relations Organization.