Pope Francis appoints six new consultors

On 21 February 2020, the Holy Father appointed six new Consultors to the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims at the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCDI). Three of them are former PISAI students: Laurent Basanese, S.J., Director of the Centre for Interreligious Studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome; Joseph Olawale Ogundipe, of the Diocese of Oyo, Nigeria; and Heru Prakosa, S.J., Counsellor for Dialogue with Islam at the Secretariat for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of the Jesuits, Professor at the Faculty of Theology at Sanata Dharma University in Jogyakarta, Indonesia.
Among the new consultors, we also note the presence of Martino Diez, Associate Professor of Arabic language and literature at the Catholic University of Milan, Scientific Director of the Oasis International Foundation and invited researcher of PISAI.

Established in 1974 by Pope Paul VI, the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims is composed of three members of the PCDI (President, Secretary and Head of the Islamic Office) and eight consultants from various regions of the world. Its aim is to promote and stimulate religious relations between Catholics and Muslims, with the possible collaboration of other Christians.