In a recent funeral service for Cardinal Geraldo Majella Agnelo in Londrina, Brazil, Archbishop Geremias Steinmetz provided Communion to Sheik Ahmad Saleh Mahairi, a prominent Muslim leader. This act ignited a flurry of debates among Catholic circles, many questioning the appropriateness of the gesture.
Mahairi, who founded the King Faisal Mosque, has maintained close ties with the Catholic Church for decades. He had befriended Cardinal Agnelo in the 1980s and was also close to another former archbishop, Albano Cavallin. “He was present at the Eucharistic celebration as a friend,” explained Steinmetz. Video footage showed Mahairi receiving the Eucharist but didn’t capture him consuming it. This led to some criticism, but Mahairi clarified that he consumed the Eucharist upon returning to his seat.
The Archbishop took to the diocesan website to address the matter, emphasizing that Sheikh Mahairi’s intent was not to disrespect the Catholic Church. Highlighting their long-standing relationship, Steinmetz mentioned, “He [Mahairi] was informed by Archbishop Albano years ago that the Eucharist is the body of Jesus, recognized as a prophet in Islam.”
Steinmetz supported his actions by citing Pope Francis and Vatican II documents. Quoting the recent papal document Desiderio Desideravi, Steinmetz expressed, “Every time we go to Mass, the first reason is that we are drawn there by his desire for us.” He also referenced Nostra Aetate, a Vatican II document which mentions the Church’s esteem for Muslims. The document notes that Muslims “adore the one God” and have high regard for Jesus as a prophet.
In a plea for unity and understanding, the Archbishop concluded by urging the community to “listen together to what the Spirit is saying to the Church.”
Read below a uCatholic translation of Archbishop Steinmetz’s statement:
STATEMENT OF CLARIFICATION
Dear brothers and sisters, still mourning the death of Cardinal Geraldo Majella Agnelo, emeritus archbishop of São Salvador and primate of Brazil, former archbishop of Londrina, we hereby make a statement regarding the repercussion caused by the communion administered by me, Dom Geremias Steinmetz, to Sheik Jeque Ahmad Saleh Mahairi.
These days, we witnessed a beautiful ceremony of our Roman Catholic Apostolic Church, which celebrates not death, but faith in eternal life through the living and resurrected Christ. The funeral of Dom Geraldo, one of the most prominent men of the Church in Brazil and the world, involved more than 24 hours of uninterrupted prayers at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Londrina. It saw the presence of priests from all the deaneries of the Archdiocese of Londrina, encompassing 16 municipalities of the region, and about 20 bishops, including three cardinals, priests, and religious people from all over the country.
Beyond being a respected religious authority, Dom Geraldo was a dear friend to many who attended the ceremonies, especially at the last Holy Mass before the burial at 10 am, to pay him their respects. Therefore, people from various religious denominations were present, including civil and religious authorities such as Sheik Jeque Ahmad Saleh Mahairi from the King Faisal Mosque.
Sheik Mahairi had known Dom Geraldo Majella since the 1980s and was at Cardinal Agnelo’s funeral as a friend, mourning the loss of another friend. Sheik is known in various circles of society and maintains a respectful relationship with the Catholic Church. He was also a friend of another archbishop of Londrina, the late Dom Albano Cavallin, with whom he had a close relationship. As a friend, he participated in the Eucharistic celebration and, joining the communion line, received the body of Christ.
The broadcast images of the Holy Mass show Sheik Mahairi receiving the Eucharist from my hands, but not consuming it. Given the impact of these images, I asked the vicar general of the Archdiocese of Londrina, Father Rafael Solano, to speak with the Sheik to clarify the situation. Deeply regretting the incident, as he did not intend to disrespect the Catholic Church, Sheik Mahairi told the vicar general that he received Jesus, went back to his pew, sat down, and consumed the Eucharist. According to him, Dom Albano had explained many years ago that the Eucharist is the body of Jesus, considered a prophet in Islam.
The Church also looks with esteem at Muslims. They worship the One God, living and subsistent, merciful and omnipotent, creator of heaven and earth, who spoke to men. They try to submit wholeheartedly to even His hidden decrees, just as Abraham submitted to God, whom Islamic faith gladly evokes. Even though they do not recognize Him as God, they venerate Jesus as a prophet and honor Mary, His virgin mother, often invoking her devoutly. They await the judgment day when God will reward all resurrected men. They value moral life and worship God, especially through prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. (Declaration “Nostra aetate”, n.3)
Having clarified these points, we would like to consider what Pope Francis teaches us in his latest document on Liturgy, Desiderio Desideravi, from 2022. Nobody had earned a place at the Last Supper. They were, rather, invited, drawn by Jesus’s ardent desire to eat that Passover with them, the lamb being Himself.
“Before our response to the invitation – much before – is His desire for us: we may be unaware of it, but every time we go to Mass, the primary reason is that we are drawn by His desire for us. On our part, the possible response, the most demanding asceticism is, as always, to surrender to His love, to let ourselves be drawn by Him. The fact remains that all our communions in the Body and Blood of Christ were desired by Him at the Last Supper,” wrote Pope Francis. All creation is a manifestation of God’s love. And since this love manifested itself in the fullness of Jesus’ Cross, “all creation is drawn to Him. All creation is taken to serve the encounter with the incarnate, crucified, dead, resurrected Word, who ascended to the Father.” (n.42)
The Eucharist that rises, the true Body and Blood of Jesus, is received by the people gathered around the altar also as a sign of charity, this irreplaceable love of God that manifests in the Cross of Jesus. Therefore, “let us abandon controversies to listen together to what the Spirit says to the Church, let us keep communion, let us continue to marvel at the beauty of the Liturgy. We were given Easter, let us be guarded by the desire that the Lord continues to have to be able to eat with us. Under the gaze of Mary, Mother of the Church.” (Pope Francis – Desiderio Desideravi, n.65). The Eucharistic Celebration teaches us the noble exercise of charity, nourishes meekness, leads us to fraternity, and respect for all. The Eucharist, the mystery of love, may be a source of grace and light that illuminates life’s paths.
Londrina, August 30, 2023
In Christ Jesus. My blessing,
Dom Geremias Steinmetz
Metropolitan Archbishop of Londrina
