When it came to the relationship between the Church and the Muslim world, as President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue from 2007 until his death last week, Cardinal Tauran deftly avoided the trap of encouraging a “clash of civilisations” narrative without seeking to minimise or relativise the differences between the two faiths. Instead, he devoted himself to the patient, largely behind-the-scenes work of relationship-building with key Muslim leaders and scholars.