Spanish Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, shown here with Pope Francis, has passed away at the age of 72. He was a key figure in the Church’s efforts to study and dialogue with Islam wordwide
Letter #62, 2024, Monday, November 25: Cardinal Ayuso Guixot
Earlier today, Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, 72, passed away.
He had been suffering from a severe illness for some time.
As Pope Francis met members of the Jain faith who were visiting Rome this morning, with members from the Dicastery for Inter-Religious Dialogue present, he noted that Cardinal Ayuso Guixot, the head of the dicastery, was not present because he was very ill. “He is very ill, near the end of his life, Francis said.
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I met Cardinal Ayuso Guixot on several occasions over the years, sometimes at lectures at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, which he headed.
He was always helpful, courteous, patient, quiet, and kind.
His task — carrying on dialogue with Islam — was a difficult but very important one, and the Church owes him a debt for the lifetime of service he gave to this important work. He was trying to build bridges, bring understanding, and from understanding, peace.
May eternal light shine upon him, and may he rest in peace. —RM
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Here is the Vatican News report (link) by Italian Vaticanist Salvatore Cernuzio:
Cardinal Ayuso Guixot, champion of Interfaith Dialogue, passes away
November 25, 2024
Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, a Spanish prelate and Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, passed away on Monday, November 25, at the age of 72, after a long illness. During the morning, while he addressed an international Jain delegation in the presence of members of the Dicastery, Pope Francis asked for prayers for the cardinal, stating, “He is very ill, near the end of his life.”
By Salvatore Cernuzio
For years, Cardinal Ayuso Guixot had been a firm advocate for interreligious dialogue, accompanying Pope Francis on nearly all of his apostolic journeys.
His extensive knowledge of Islam and the Arab world made him an indispensable part of the Pope’s initiatives to strengthen relations with other faiths.
These journeys, often referred to as “pilgrimages of fraternity,” showcased the cardinal’s dedication to fostering unity in regions where Catholicism is a minority.
In 2019, he participated in historic visits to the United Arab Emirates and Morocco as Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, assuming leadership of the Dicastery shortly after being created cardinal on October 5, 2019.
He later joined Pope Francis on the 2021 pilgrimage to Iraq, a visit he described as transformative for the war-torn nation.
He also accompanied the Holy Father to Kazakhstan and Bahrain in 2022 and remained active in his mission until health challenges overtook him.
Deeply rooted faith and global mission
Born on June 17, 1952, in Seville, Spain, Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixotgrew up in a devout Catholic family, the fifth of nine siblings.
Seville’s unique blend of Christian and Islamic heritage deeply influenced his sensitivity to interfaith understanding.
Initially pursuing law studies, he felt a vocational calling and joined the Comboni Missionaries in 1973.
Ordained a priest in 1980, he pursued advanced studies in Rome, specializing in Islamic studies.
His missionary journey began in Cairo, Egypt, serving the Latin community and assisting Sudanese Catholic youth.
This path eventually led him to war-torn Sudan and later to academic leadership as president of the Pontifical Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI).
His expertise earned him a role as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in 2007.
Elevated to Prefect in 2019, Cardinal Ayuso Guixot became a central figure in the Church’s efforts to promote dialogue with Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and other religious communities worldwide.
Legacy of fraternity
Cardinal Ayuso Guixot embodied Pope Francis’s vision of fraternity as outlined in the encyclical Fratelli Tutti.
Through his tireless dedication to dialogue, he demonstrated that peaceful coexistence among diverse faiths is both possible and necessary.
His passing marks the loss of a visionary leader who brought the spirit of unity to the global stage.
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Cardinal Ayuso Guixot: Dialogue is “not about creating a melting pot”
British Vaticanist Edward Pentin, in a piece written for Catholic News Agency (CNA) and just published by Catholic World Report (link) observes:
One of Ayuso’s most significant achievements was his role in resuming dialogue with Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb of Cairo’s Al-Azhar University.
Renowned as Islam’s most prestigious institution for Islamic learning, Al-Azhar suspended dialogue with the Vatican in 2011 on the grounds that Pope Benedict XVI had made “repetitive and negative statements” about Muslims.
Ayuso’s brokered reconciliation culminated in the landmark but controversial “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together,” signed in Abu Dhabi in February 2019 by Pope Francis and el-Tayeb.
The cardinal had also represented the Holy See on the board of directors of the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) since its founding in 2012.
In response to critics concerned about the Vatican’s current course of interreligious dialogue and its alleged tendency toward syncretism, he emphasized that interreligious dialogue and initiatives like the “Document on Human Fraternity” were not about creating a “melting pot” where all religions were considered equal.
Instead, he argued it was about recognizing “that all believers, those who seek God, and all people of good will without religious affiliation are equal in dignity.”
He asserted that the Catholic Church always engages in interreligious dialogue while remembering “the value of her own identity.”
Ayuso also noted that pluralism in societies invites reflection on one’s own identity, “without which authentic interreligious dialogue is impossible.”
Responding to criticism that the “Document on Human Fraternity” could lead to syncretism, he reiterated that each faith retains its own identity in these dialogues, and used the metaphor of a “rich mixed salad” to describe how different faiths can come together while maintaining their distinct identities.
In 2023, Cardinal Ayuso strongly endorsed the Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith complex in Abu Dhabi designed to promote mutual understanding, peaceful coexistence, and interfaith dialogue among Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.
The cardinal said the complex, which opened in 2023, was a “beacon of mutual understanding” and that he believed it could foster mutual respect and understanding while allowing each faith to maintain its distinct identity.
Critics argued that the initiative fostered religious indifferentism and was theologically unsound.
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A 2021 Address by Cardinal Ayuso Guixot
For those who would like to understand the mind and work of the late Cardinal Ayuso Guixot, it might be of interest to watch a 1-hour talk he gave in English at a conference in Rome at the Villa Malta three years ago, on November 8, 2021.
The talk, preceded by an introduction of several minutes by Georgetown Prof. Thomas Banchoff, Georgetown’s Vice President for Global Engagement, may be found at this link.
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College of Cardinals: The Numbers
As of today, November 25, 2024, with the death of Cardinal Ayuso Guixot, there are 232 cardinals, 120 of whom are cardinal electors.
Pope Francis has announced that he will create 21 new cardinals, at a consistory in Rome next week, on December 7, 2024, 20 of whom will be cardinal electors, bringing the number of cardinal electors up to 140.
Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo was the most recent cardinal elector to turn 80, on October 10, 2024. Cardinal Oswald Gracias will be the next cardinal elector to turn 80, on December 24, 2024.
Following the 2023 consistory, 99 of the cardinal electors had been appointed by Francis, 29 by Pope Benedict XVI, and 9 by Pope John Paul II.
Following the upcoming consistory at the end of next week, 119 of the cardinal electors will have been created by Francis, 29 by Pope Benedict XVI, and 9 by Pope John Paul II.
Since June 2, 2023, two-thirds of the cardinal electors have been cardinals created by Francis. The September 2023 consistory increased that to almost three-quarters, about 73%. The November 2024 consistory coming up will increase that percentage to about 80%, with four-fifths of all the cardinals having been named by Francis.
Also, Francis has shifted membership in the College of Cardinals away from Europe, making it almost certain that the conclave to choose his successor will be the first conclave ever where Europeans do not account for a majority of electors.
A list of all the cardinals may be found here.
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