Editing Pope John Paul II (section)

=== Islam ===
[[File:StJohnInUmmayad.jpg|thumb|John Paul II was the first Pope to enter and pray in a mosque, visiting the tomb of John the Baptist at [[Umayyad Mosque]], Damascus.]]
John Paul&nbsp;II made considerable efforts to improve relations between Catholicism and Islam.<ref name="Crossing the Threshold of Hope" />

He officially supported the project of the [[Mosque of Rome]] and participated in the inauguration in 1995.

On 14 May 1999, at a meeting with Muslim leaders in Syria, he was gifted and then promptly kissed a [[Qur'an]], an act that was controversial with some Catholics.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Marshall |first=Taylor |title=Infiltration: The Plot To Destroy The Church |publisher=Sophia Institute Press |year=2019 |isbn=978-1-622828-470 |pages=178}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Theologian: John Paul II wanted to show respect by kissing the Koran |url=https://english.katholisch.de/artikel/53269-theologian-john-paul-ii-wanted-to-show-respect-by-kissing-the-koran |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=english.katholisch.de |language=de}}</ref>

On 6 May 2001, he became the first Catholic pope to enter and pray in a mosque, namely the [[Umayyad Mosque]] in [[Damascus]], Syria. Respectfully removing his shoes, he entered the former [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine-era]] Christian church dedicated to [[John the Baptist]], who is also revered as a [[prophet of Islam]]. He gave a speech including the statement: "For all the times that Muslims and Christians have offended one another, we need to seek forgiveness from the Almighty and to offer each other forgiveness."<ref name="Mosque" />

In 2004, John Paul&nbsp;II hosted the "[[Papal Concert of Reconciliation]]", which brought together leaders of Islam with leaders of the Jewish community and of the Catholic Church at the Vatican for a concert by the Kraków Philharmonic Choir from Poland, the [[London Philharmonic Choir]] from the United Kingdom, the [[Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra]] from the United States, and the Ankara State Polyphonic Choir of Turkey.<ref name="WQED" /><ref name="Concert" /><ref name="Philharmonic" /><ref name="Gazette" /> The event was conceived and conducted by [[Gilbert Levine]], [[Order of St. Gregory the Great|KCSG]] and was broadcast throughout the world.<ref name="WQED" /><ref name="Concert" /><ref name="Philharmonic" /><ref name="Gazette" />

John Paul&nbsp;II oversaw the publication of the [[Catechism of the Catholic Church]], which makes a special provision for Muslims; therein, it is written, "together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."<ref name="Catechism" />