There is one glaring problem with the Ramadan tweet that Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Chicago, posted on Tuesday night: Ramadan does not start for another two weeks.
“Let us keep our Muslim brothers and sisters in our prayers as they begin Ramadan, a holy month dedicated to fasting, prayer and almsgiving,” Cupich tweeted Tuesday. Cupich has been the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ co-chair of Catholic-Muslim dialogue since 2016, but despite all that dialogue, he appears to have been mistaken in this case.
“In the U.S., Ramadan is expected to begin on Wednesday, March 22,” USA Today reported. Ramadan will continue until April 21 and end with the celebration known as Eid al-Fitr, the outlet explained, noting that the day changes every year in accordance with the Islamic lunar calendar.
Some Twitter users noted that Cupich had the wrong date, while others criticized him for failing to explicitly call for the conversion of Muslims to Catholicism. The tweet had not been deleted, as of Wednesday afternoon.
Let us keep our Muslim brothers and sisters in our prayers as they begin Ramadan, a holy month dedicated to fasting, prayer and almsgiving.
— Cardinal Cupich (@CardinalBCupich) March 8, 2023
Cupich has made numerous statements about Ramadan in past years. “The conversations that I have had as part of this dialogue have really enriched me in understanding so much more, not only about Islam but American Muslims and some of the struggles and challenges that you face, especially as you raise your children as you support your families,” he said in 2018, according to Chicago Catholic.
In 2022, he said that “Ramadan offers us this special opportunity to celebrate our common faith values and achieve universal peace,” the Archdiocese of Chicago reported. (RELATED: Christians Share Stage With Muslim Extremists At Council on American-Islamic Relations Fundraisers)
USA Today described Ramadan as a “holy month designed for fasting, time with loved ones and prayers, including asking for forgiveness for sins.” Muslims believe that it was during the month of Ramadan that God first revealed the Qur’an to their prophet, Muhammad.