"Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne: Muhammad 'instrument of God’s mercy'"

The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne has issued greetings to Muslims on the occasion of the feast of Eid al-Fitr. The Very Reverend Denis Stanley, Episcopal Vicar for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations for the Melbourne Archdiocese, wrote:

The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne would like to extend its best wishes to the Muslim community in Victoria and Australia on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the Feast of the Breaking of the Fast, celebrated at the end of the sacred month of Ramadan.

The Holy Qur’an was first revealed in the month of Ramadan and had a special purpose:

And We sent down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers…”(Qur’an 17:82). The Prophet Muhammad was also sent as an instrument of God’s mercy: “And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a mercy to the worlds.”(Qur’an 21:107).

Ramadan, therefore, has been a time of reflecting on God’s mercy and preparing oneself to receive it….

Note that Stanley doesn’t write that Muslims believe that the Qur’an was revealed, or that Muhammad was sent as an instrument of God’s mercy. He states these elements of Islamic belief as if they were universally accepted facts.