Father Stefano Luca
«I find this project not only interesting, but also necessary. Until today, the great point of reference for the Bible in Arabic has been the translation created by the Jesuits in Lebanon. This ex-novo translation, with such a rich critical apparatus, offers Arabic-speaking Christians the possibility of a greater in-depth study of the Holy Scripture. A useful tool not only for the faithful, but also for religious leaders who will thus be able to accompany the People of God with greater attention.” It’s the comment of father Stefano Luca on the publication of the Bible in Arabic.
Luca lives in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, he is a Capuchin minor friar of the Province of Lombardy and currently directs theOffice for Interreligious and Ecumenical Dialogue of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. Furthermore, he provides his service at theAbrahamic Family House.
His experience in the Emirati city began in September 2023. The House of the Abrahamic Family is a place where a Catholic church, a mosque and a synagogue stand side by side. «We are», explains the religious man, «in the cultural district of Abu Dhabi, near the Louvre museum and where four other museums are being built. We are at the center of this cultural district to promote the culture of dialogue and to be a bridge between all cultures. We are not a museum, but a place of worship where the three religions that are based, albeit in different ways, on Abraham have buildings of the same size available, 30 by 30 metres. Then there is the forum that connects the three houses of worship where the communities hold meetings, workshops and other activities».
Father Luca, who published for Terra Santa Edizioni Theology of differences, an essay dedicated to the new perspectives for the Franciscan mission in dialogue with Islam, recalls that the House of the Abrahamic Family «is a first concrete reception of the document on human brotherhood for world peace and common coexistence signed precisely at Abu Dhabi in 2019 by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam al-Tayyeb.
Father Luca, who works in a Vicariate where they live one and a half million Catholics coming mainly from Asia, recalls that «we have elements in common, but we must recognize that we are different. Differences do not make us distant, but they are that beauty that makes us enrich each other. The brother’s difference helps me consider the profound questions of my faith. I hope this new translation offers a language in which faithful Christians can easily see themselves. This would certainly help them to deepen their reading, understanding and meditation on the Word of the Lord. Pope Francis in his speech on the occasion of the conference “Theology after Veritatis Gaudium in the context of the Mediterranean” held in Naples in 2019, asked to work for a “theological Pentecost”, which allows the women and men of our time to listen “in their own language” to a Christian reflection that responds to their search for meaning and full life. I believe that this project responds exactly to this appeal from the Holy Father.”
