Catholic-Shi'a Dialogue Series
On February 28, 2026, the United States and the State of Israel launched a military assault on the Islamic Republic of Iran. The initial strike targeted high-ranking officials in Iranian civilian and military leadership, including the leading religious figure in Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, alongside members of his family. Israel and the US have suggested a range of goals in justification for the “Iran War,” from destroying Iran’s capacity to develop a nuclear weapon, to taking out its ballistic missile capabilities, to overthrowing the regime entirely. The moment is laden with religious symbolism. Apocalyptic narratives, rooted in scripture and tradition, have surfaced on all sides—Israeli, American, and Iranian.
This report captures a series of Catholic-Shi’a dialogues that took place a year prior to the outbreak of the 2026 Iran War. In what follows, scholars and practitioners of Catholicism and Shi’a Islam reflect on issues ranging from political sovereignty, to gender, to the nature of “dialogue among civilizations.” In doing so, they open up ways of thinking that provide tools for constructively engaging religious difference, particularly in moments of fragility. Deep encounter of this kind offers an opportunity to relate beyond the sensationalism we find in the superficial punditry that characterizes public discourses today.
To see the participants and to view the dialogues in their entirety, please go here: