Three in 10 Catholics admit to having unfavorable views about Muslims, Catholics are less likely than other Americans to know a Muslim personally, and nearly 50 percent of Catholics can't name any similarities between Catholicism and Islam.

At the risk of sounding patronizing, I have no doubt that the Reverend Graham’s faith is deeply felt and that his views are sincerely held.

Religious people must listen to one another and speak to each other as brothers and sisters, the pope said. "Listen and speak softly, peacefully, seeking the path together."

In "Believer with Reza Aslan," a scholar presents a part as indicative of the whole.

Despite this surge of goodwill, questions remain about whether these new connections can endure.

The invitation came amid increasingly closer relations between the Vatican and al-Azhar University, which is considered the most authoritative theological-academic institution of Sunni Islam.