Pope seeking invitation to speak at Egyptian university?

Cairo, Sep. 25 (CWNews.com) - Vatican officials have approached the administrators of Egypt's leading Islamic institution, seeking an opportunity for Pope Benedict XVI to deliver a speech there, according to reports from the Egyptian government's news agency.

A delegation of Church officials led by Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald-- the former president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, who is now assigned as apostolic nuncio in Cairo-- met with Egyptian officials on September 23, to ask whether the Pope could speak at Al-Azhar University, a school founded in 970 and regarded as the most important academic institution in the world of Sunni Islam. Pope John Paul II visited the Al-Azhar University in February 2000, at the invitation of the institution's leader, Sheikh Sayed Tantawi.

Egyptian officials indicated that it was unlikely the Islamic school would issue an invitation to Pope Benedict. Professors at Al-Azhar were vocal in their public criticism of the Pontiff's speech in Regensburg. And Mahmoud Hamdi Zaqzouq, the religious-affairs minister of the Egyptian government, reportedly lodged a fresh protest when he met with Vatican officials. Zaqzouq indicated that Egyptian Muslims are still upset about a private meeting between the Pope and Oriana Fallaci, the late Italian journalist and critique of Islam, in August 2005.

Pope posed tough questions that the world must answer

By George Weigel
USA Today Opinion

Over the 18 years I have known Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, I've formed some distinct impressions of the man.

He is, first of all, a Christian gentleman whose exquisite manners reflect his innate shyness and respect for others. Then there is his encyclopedic knowledge of theology, which ranges far beyond the borders of the Catholic Church; Benedict XVI has read widely and deeply in Protestant and Orthodox thought, in Jewish scholarship, in Islamic sacred texts and commentaries. And there is the precision of his mind: I have often described Benedict as one of those rare men who, when asked a question, pauses, reflects — and then answers in complete paragraphs.

All of which sheds some light on the global controversy that has swirled around the pope since his lecture on faith, reason, Christianity and Islam two weeks ago. Benedict XVI says precisely what he means and means exactly what he says. So what exactly was the pope saying, and why did he say it?

His lecture in Germany was, first of all, a celebration of human reason — the human capacity to know the truth of things. Our ability to think our way through to convictions we can know are true is the defining characteristic of our humanity and the spark of the divine within us. So reason and faith cannot be in conflict: True faith is reasonable faith, faith that makes sense, faith that can be proposed as reasonable to others.

The pope's second point was that our idea of God has a lot to do with how we think about the world, ourselves and our moral obligations. Christianity, following its Jewish parent, proposes a God of reason, love and compassion — a God who invites us to use our reason in responding to his invitation to faith, a God who calls his people Israel (in the Hebrew Bible) and the church (in the New Testament) into a true conversation. That idea of God shapes the Jewish and Christian convictions that the world is intelligible and that people of reason and goodwill can build decent societies, based on reasonable standards of behavior.

But there are other ideas of God to offer, and one of them is the idea of God proposed by certain currents of Islamic thought. In this view, God is utterly transcendent, a majestic, unapproachable lawgiver to whom the only appropriate response is the absolute submission of our own minds and wills. Now, to be sure, this idea of God can lead to a profound piety. As a Muslim acquaintance once said to me (speaking of the Catholic belief in the real presence of Christ in the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist), "If I really believed that Allah was on that altar, I'd be crawling up the aisle on my hands and knees." It would be a blessing if nominal Christians shared such a powerful belief in the majesty of the divine.

Alas, the pope went on to suggest, the idea of God as pure will can also have bad effects. Taken to extremes, it may suggest that God can command anything. As one scholar of Islam cited by the pope, Roger Arnaldez, has argued — this kind of God could order us to practice idolatry. Or, to come down to contemporary cases, God could command us to do what seems wicked — suicide bombing, for example. That far too many jihadist Muslims around the world — including, one fears, the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — believe that the killing of innocents is pleasing to God if it advances Islam's cause and hastens the day of Islam's triumph suggests that Pope Benedict's theological point is not an abstract one.

Why would the pope raise these volatile questions, and in an academic lecture that he surely knew would be reduced to sound bites that distorted his meaning? I think that Benedict knew precisely the risks he was taking and thought the risks worthwhile. Why? Because he believes in the power of reason to cut through the fog of passion. Because he believes that serious problems — such as those posed by jihadist Islam — can be solved only by examining them at their roots. And because he might well have wanted to extend a helping hand to those Islamic reformers who are trying to convince the extremists among their fellow Muslims that irrational violence in the name of God is, in fact, offensive to the one true God.

Will the pope's wager prove foolish or wise? An influential Italian Muslim commentator, Magdi Allam, writing in Corriere della Sera, Italy's leading daily newspaper, got the point: Why is it, he wrote, that "Muslims, especially the so-called moderates, never stand up ... against the true and perpetual profaners of Islam, the Islamic terrorists who massacre Muslims themselves in the name of God?" Against the jihadist calls for Benedict's death, voices such as Allam's suggest that, far from provoking a clash of civilizations, Pope Benedict XVI has put on the table the questions that have to be debated, rationally, to avoid just such a confrontation: How do we imagine God, and how do our ideas of God shape the way we live?

George Weigel, a senior fellow of Washington's Ethics and Public Policy Center, is the author of God's Choice: Pope Benedict XVI and the Future of the Catholic Church.

[Modificato da benefan 26/09/2006 3.48]

Pope's remarks add to unease over Turkey visit

Financial Times
Updated: 10:11 p.m. CT Sept 24, 2006

When the late Pope John Paul II visited Turkey in 1979, the country was on the verge of a military coup, and engaged in a savage conflict with Kurdish separatists that killed 35,000 people. Most Turks today cannot remember the visit, but those who do say he was received warmly and showed a special affection for a land that is central to biblical history.

When Pope Benedict XVI arrives in late November, it will be to a very different Turkey. The military has been tamed and the country's democratic institutions, though far from perfect, have reasserted themselves. The most striking difference, however, is in the renewed significance of Islam, both religiously and culturally, in this officially secular but overwhelmingly Muslim country.

The Pope is due on Monday to meet representatives of Muslim countries to try to end the controversy that has swirled around remarks he made earlier this month that many Muslims regarded as offensive to their faith. His trip to Turkey has not – so far – become a victim of the theological and cultural storm, but it has cast a shadow over it, guaranteeing an uncomfortable occasion for both Turkey and the Vatican.

When the Pope visits Catholic countries, he attracts millions to religious events. This will not happen in Turkey, because the trip – his first to a Muslim country since his election last year – is primarily a political event. The visit was controversial even before his comments, having to be rearranged about a year ago at the insistence of the Turkish authorities, who wanted it to be a state occasion rather than a religious one.

It now appears to have become both. The reaction in Turkey to the Pope's comments on Islam and violence was not as vehement as in other Muslim countries. But it was strong nonetheless, with at least one leading politician likening the pontiff to a Crusader of old. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, said the Pope should apologise.

The liberal commentator Mehmet Ali Birand, in his newspaper column, described the response as "needless and excessive", saying it "portrayed [Turkey] as the Pope's leading critic".

Still, it reflected the rise of a religious sensibility among many Turkish people in recent years, and the way in which they now regard themselves as both Muslims and citizens.

Mr Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development party (AKP), which won a comprehensive victory in 2002 and may do so again in next year's general election, reflects that phenomenon. The AKP's core support is from the Muslim middle class outside the big cities. Tayfun Atay, a sociologist at Ankara University, describes the party as "a bourgeois movement reflecting the rise of bourgeois religiosity" in Turkey.

This may explain why a reference by the Pope to an obscure event that occurred many centuries ago, made during a densely theological speech to an audience of German academics, should draw such a strong reaction.

Adding to the religious and cultural dimension of Turkey's potential European Union membership is the fact that Mr Erdogan has recast his country's ambition in religious terms, as an "alliance of civilisations". This is a sharp reversal of previous Turkish policy, which emphasised the country's secular, modern, pro-European aspirations.

For some, the comments were of a piece with Pope Benedict's apparent opposition to Turkey's EU membership. This may prove as decisive in the outcome of those difficult negotiations as the hostility of Catholic countries such as France and Austria.

Mustafa Soykut, an associate professor of history at Middle East Technical University, who is a specialist in relations between Turkey and Christianity, says the Vatican appears to be aligning itself with anti-Turkish sentiment in the European Union.

"Either the Pope is playing the EU's game, or they are his own views, which is unlikely," he says. "The Vatican's view of Turkey has always been political as well as theological."

54% have favorable opinion of Pope Benedict XVI

rasmussenreports.com
Mon Sep 25, 9:07 AM ET
Yahoo

Pope Benedict XVI made headlines last week when remarks contained within a speech he gave in Germany were deemed offensive by the Muslim community. Sixty-one percent (61%) of respondents to a recent Rasmussen Reports survey say they've been following the news of the Pope's misstep closely, including 27% saying they've followed the news "very closely." Thirty-eight percent (38%) say they have not been following the story.

Just 25% of Americans believe the Pope should apologize for his comments. Forty-eight percent (48%) disagree.

More than half of those surveyed (54%) now have a favorable opinion of the Pope. Twenty-two percent (22%) view him unfavorably. Those figures reflect an improving perception of the Pope, who was viewed favorably by 34% shortly after his selection to lead the Catholic Church.

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of those surveyed believe freedom of speech is more important than preventing offensive remarks. Fifteen percent (15%) say the reverse is true. However, a majority of respondents (53%) believe that it is the responsibility of those in the public eye to choose their words carefully to avoid giving offense. Thirty-three percent (33%) believe public figures have the freedom to speak as they wish.

During the speech in question, the pontiff included a quote from a 14th century Christian emperor who said that the Prophet Muhammad, the father of Islam, brought only evil and inhumane things into the world.

The national telephone survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted by Rasmussen Reports September 20-21, 2006. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.

Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo and four priests he ordained as bishops on September 24 in Washington, DC,. have been excommunicated, according to a statement issued today by the Vatican Press Office.

A translation of the full text of the statement is posted in NEWS ABOUT THE CHURCH.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 26/09/2006 14.52]

Emma in the main forum posts a little item from Il Foglio recalling that John Paul II also 'offended' another faith in the past. Here is a translation:

Papa Wojtyla too had a problem with another religion.

In 1994, his interview-book with Vittorio Messori, "Crossing the Threshold of Hope", was published. In it, the Pope had expressed some not-positive views about Buddhism.

He wrote that Buddhism professed a negative doctrine on the basis of a "conviction that the world is bad" and therefore "postulates the necessity of becoming indifferent to the world." This evaluation did not please Buddhists in the West nor in Asia.

At that time, preparations were underway for a Papal voyage to ASia, including Sri Lanka, a nation which is overwhelmingly Buddhist.

The reaction from Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) was very strong. Buddhist leaders said they would boycott the Pope's visit to Colombo. The Secretary of State wrote to explain that the Pope only wanted dialog and did not mean to offend anyone.

The Pope conveyed his 'sincere esteem' and 'profound respect' for the Buddha and his followers. But he did not apologize to anyone nor did he express regret that anyone had been offended, even if Civilta Cattolica (the Rome-based Jesuit journal said to be under full editorial surveillance by the Vaitcna Secretariat of State) admitted that the Pope had perhaps made an incomplete statement about Buddhist doctrine.

Ultimately, Buddhist leaders did not attend any papal ceremonies in Colombo in January 1995.

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TO CHECK OUT ANY ENGLISH ARTICLES ABOUT THE 'REACTION TO REGENSBURG' THAT WE MISSED POSTING HERE - THERE ARE A FEW GOOD ONES WE MISSED - DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT CHRIS BLOSSER'S BLOG

www.popebenedictxvifanclub.com/blog/2006/09/pope-benedict-and-regensberg-r...

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 26/09/2006 16.05]

Ratzigirl posted in the main forum an item from the news agency APCOM translated here:
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"Neither the Pope nor the Nuncio have thought of any Papal lecture in the university mosque of Al-Azhar and no one is planning for such an eventuality," according to a source at the Apostolic Nunciature in Cairo, commenting on a news item that appeared in the Saudi Arabian newspaper Al Watan.

The item claimed that Benedict XVI was seeking an invitation to lecture at Al Azhar, the Egyptian university which is the seat of the supreme authority on Sunni Islam, as part of Vatican efforts to improve relations with the Muslim world.

It also said that Mons. Michael Fitzgerald, the Apostolic Nuncio in Cairo, along with other Vatican officials, had been meeting with Egyptian authorities about this.

The source at the Nunciature told Apcom, "At best, one might imagine that a bishop has proposed this to the Holy Father. But there is no truth to the report."

In the days following the Pope's Regensburg lecture, Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, supreme guide of Sunni Muslims, accused the Pope of "ignorance" regarding Islam. He has since reinforced his criticisms to exclude any invitation in the future to the Pope.

So, despite the denials made by the Nunciature, it is possible that contacts with Al-Azhar may have been underway for some time.

The source said, "In any case, such a proposal would involve very sensitive negotiations that would not be publicized."

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 26/09/2006 23.55]

Giona in the main forum has posted Magdi Allam's commentary in the 9/26/06 issue of Corriere della Sera on the Pope's meeting with representatives of the Muslim world yesterday.

It is strikingly different from the pessimism and extreme caution with which he anticipated the meeting in his 9/25/06 commentary. The appreciation he writes about Benedict XVI's handling of the post-Regensburg crisis is unadulterated. Here is a translation.
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The Pope has defined
the bases for a historic
turning-point in
Church-Islam relations
By MAGDI ALLAM



The image of Benedict XVI warmly clasping the hands of 5 women in elegant Western dress and of 7 Christians among the 19 diplomatic representatives of predominantly Muslim states which are also male-dominated, illustrates the complexity of the Islamic world that we erronously perceive as a monolithic, integrated and unchanging bloc.

How different was the representation of Islam gathered for an audience with the Pope in Castel Gandolfo yesterday! Not caftans, turbans, menacing long beards or burqas that negate femininity.

It in this reconfigured context of the Muslim world's true plurality - which is other than pluralism in Islam - that the Pope formalized the doctrinal, rational and ideal bases for what one might rightly call a historic turning-point in relations between the Catholic Church and Islam.

Whoever thinks that the theologian Ratzinger is not a statesman but a scholar without a clue to the logic of Realpolitik must now have second thoughts.

In his meeting yesterday with the ambassadors of predominantly Muslim states and some members of the Consultative Council for Italian Muslims, Benedict XVI showed a rare ability to politically manage a very insidious international crisis which raised the issues, on the one hand, of the Church's legitimate right to freedom of expression, and on the other hand, of the need to isolate and contain the most extreme and terroristic reactions from the Muslim world.

The Pope's skill was in having taken away the issue of that controversial statement about Mohammed quoted from a Byzantine emperor, from the strictly religious field and putting it into the political sphere - by addressing himself directly to the governments of Muslim states and their representatives rather than the heterogeneous and conflicted world of organized Islamic movements.

The change implies the choice of a context where the marriage of faith and reason is more readily accepted under the rubric of 'reasons of State', rather than the religious context that is so profoundly marked by ideological extremism that uses Islam to gain political power.

Benedict XVI's character is also clear from his calm but firm refusal to 'apologize' for having legitimately cited a historical (negative) reference to Islam on September 12 in Regensburg, even if on two occasions - Sept. 17 and Sept. 20 - he expressed his 'regret' that Muslims felt offended. Yesterday, he ignored the incident completely.

The message is clear: for the Church, the case is definitely closed. The fact that his guests did not have an occasion to speak up during the audience proves further his conviction that his right to freedom of expression cannot be placed under discussion before TV cameras. This could have been misinterpreted as a willingness to compromise which might ultimately lead to surrender!

By ruling out a possibiity of reply by his guests after his address in French, the Pope sent out an unequivocal signal: the freedom of the Church to express itself on Islam, even if the statement may not be pleasing to all Muslims, is not negotiable.

But it is safe to say that in fact, the Pope saved the predominantly Muslim states from great embarassment - because it would have been very dificult for these states to arrive at a consensus response to his address, due to profound ancestral conflicts among them which have been present at the core of Islam from the beginning, but which have been camouflaged only in the face of a common enemy.

It is precisely why the preachers of hate, linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and jihadist groups, continue to foment anger and to threaten the Pope until he has made a formal apology and edits out the contested quotation from the text of his Regensburg lecture.

That is why the Pope's probable success so far is in having transformed what appeared to be a 'holy war' by all of Islam against the Catholic Church into an internal confrontation within Islam itself.
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I must add that, gratified as I am by this commentary from Mr. Allam, he apparently had an overnight epiphany thanks to Benedict XVI - which makes his commentary above all the more more striking, because in his 9/25/06 commentary, he questioned the wisdom of the Vatican in deciding to invite representatives of government rather than religious leaders, as follows:

---

... one wonders why the ambassadors were chosen to represent Islam in a religious issue framed in a historical and theological context, but certainly outside of politics.

Isn't there perhaps a contradiction in the fact that the Church and the Western world have been calling on Muslims to separate Church and State* and now, they themselves are dealing with the ambassadors as 'representatives of Islam' to ask their help in resolving a religious question?

---

And then, after the fact, he now recognizes that the Pope not only did the right thing, but that it was a skillful and masterly move to bring the issue to the directly political representatives of the Muslim states..

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 26/09/2006 22.42]

Pope Benedict is also giving moderate Islam a chance to take the lead now. By giving them a public forum, albeit here a silent one, the Pope has elevated the status of Muslim statemen and religious leaders who are routinely drowned out by jihadists and Muslims mobs. His prestige enhances theirs. It also obliges them to raise themselves and their rhetoric to match his.

Magdi Allam's insight is most interesting and quite an eye-opener (for me at least.) Thanks for the translation Teresa. Chikadee, your view on the matter is also spot on. Let us hope and pray that much positive will grow out of this audience and, indirectly, from the Regensburg address.

Here is a translation of an editorial written for Avvenire today by Fr. Samir, professor of Islamic Studies at St. JosePH University in Beirut and frequent resource person for the Vatican on matters Islamic.

It will be remembered that Fr. Samir delivered a guest lecture about Islam at the Ratzinger Schuelerkreise session in summer 2005 which was devoted to a discussion of Islam in today's world.
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TIME TO BUILD BRIDGES
By Samir Khalil Samir, SJ


They were expecting an apology; what they got was dialog.

That is how one might summarize the disappointment expressed by Mohammed Salim Al-'Awwa, secretary-general of the World Union of Ulema, Muslim scholars known for their extremist positions, about the meeting yesterday between Pope Benedict XVI and Muslim representatives.

He adds: "The Pope won't find anyone to listen to him among the ulema, only among the ignorant." [By which he is also branding all those who attended the audience at Castel Gandolfo yesterday as ignorant. What arrogance, and what a petty mind!]

But of course, Benedict XVI has found an audience in many learned men of Islam. The positive reactions so far from (genuine) Muslim intellectuals are increasing, and often, even more auto-critical.

What should the Pope apologize for? For having raised the problem of violence committed in the name of God by many Muslims? Who can honestly say that this position (against violence) is not found in the Koran if it is read in an absolute and literal manner? And who can affirm that violence did not accompany the spread of Islam under its founder and his successors?

If the manipulation of a statement made by the Pope in Regensburg has brought many intellectuals, Muslim or not, to ask themselves what is the relation between faith and violence, then this has all been a felix culpa [happy mistake] by the Pope's presumptive interpreters!

Beyond Islam, the question affects us all - Christians, Jews, atheists, Westerners, Africans, Asians. God's honor and that of man are not defended through violence, but through justice and forgiveness in order to arrive at peace.

Yesterday, at the meeting in Castel Gandolfo with the ambassadors from Muslim states and members of the Consultative Council for Italian Muslims, the Pope - taking off from Vatican-II - showed how the Church "seeks to consolidate bridges of friendship with the faithful of all religions," especially between Muslims and Christians.



Responding to those who would place him 'in opposition to' John Paul II in this matter, he underscored continuity with his predecessor.

What actually does the Bishop of Rome have in mind? He condensed it in a sentence. He expressed the wish that the relationship between Christians and Muslims 'may develop in a spirit of sincere and respectful dialog, a dialog based on an ever more authentic reciprocal knowledge about each other, which recognizes with joy the religious values held in common, and in good faith, recognizes and respects their differences."

Every word is measured, as if articulating an agenda. He speaks of a 'sincere and respectful dialog,'inter-cultural and inte-religious' - not of tactful dialog, but one held 'in the spirit of truth.'

Further,(it must be) a dialog 'founded on reciprocal knowledge of each other". Indeed, the theme of reciprocity appears three times in the Pope's address.

But certainly not reciprocity in the context of threat and blackmail (such as, "If you don't let us build churches in Saudi Arabia, we won't let you build mosques in Italy") - but in the sense of emulating the good, spiritual emulation to confirm the dignity of the individual and respect for human rights, including the right to freedom. In this way, reciprocity would lead to building a common civilization.

"In a world marked by relativism, which often excludes the transcendent universality of reason [an aspect of the West much detested by fundamentalists], we have an absolute need," said the Pope, "of an authentic dialog between religions and between cultures, a dialog that can enable us to overcome together all tensions in a spirit of productive understanding."

The Pope does not in any way present such a relationship as a common struggle, in which Christianity and Islam are allied against the West. Rather, he proposes a cultural dialog that will move beyond the current stalemate.

The discourse in itself is non-aggressive. It does not propose a 'crusade' by believers against agnosticism or relativism - Western sicknesses - or against fundamentalism. But it exhorts forcefully to (common action) "in order to overcome together all tensions in a spirit of productive understanding."

The Pope calls for a common comittment "to face together the numerous challenges now confronting mankind...(and) to defend and promote the dignity of the human being and the rights that come from such dignity."

This - no more, no less - is the inter-religious and inter-cultural dialog that Pope Benedict XVI is calling for.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 28/09/2006 0.32]

I'm so glad to see this assessment. Gone are the days of fuzzy ecumenism and interreligious dialogue. I'm glad to see sharp dialogue and by "sharp," I mean dialogue with an end in mind. For too long, we've had to see things like the Assisi conferences, where everyone just stood around and "prayed" together and where the Pope stood there like one among many. No wonder Cardinal Ratzinger wouldn't go there. Once you surrender your principles there's nothing to say. Now if those of us in the West would follow Pope Benedict's example and begin to re-assert our principles and our religious identity as Roman Catholics and resurrect our great heritage we would be in a much better position to contend with other religious visions.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - An organization of 56 Islamic nations pressed Pope Benedict on Tuesday to apologize for his comments linking Muslims and violence, keeping alive a two-week-old controversy.

Foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, or OIC, approved a statement urging the Vatican to "retract or redress" the comments, in which the pope cited quotes saying the Muslim faith was spread by violence.

The group issued its statement a day after Pope Benedict assured diplomats from some 20 Muslim nations and the leaders of Italy's Muslim community that he respected them and was committed to dialogue.

It was the fourth time he had tried to make amends, without actually apologizing directly, for his September 12 speech at a university in his native Germany.

Several of the envoys attending the unprecedented meeting at his summer residence south of Rome said they felt it had gone a long way to help end the controversy. But others said they still thought an apology was in order.

The pope had enraged Muslims by quoting 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, who said everything the Prophet Mohammad brought was evil "such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

The OIC statement said Islamic nations' foreign ministers "believe that it is befitting to the Vatican to retract or redress the said statement, in demonstration of the correct spirit of Christianity in dealing with Islamic issues."

The ministers expressed their "profound regrets" over the remarks and said they feared his language "might engender a situation of tension between the Muslim world and the Vatican, to the detriment of the real interests of the two parties."

The foreign ministers gathered on the sidelines of a meeting of the 192-nation U.N. General Assembly in New York.

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How much weight should we give to this statement? It could simply be a 'pro forma' declaration, seeing as this particular organization has not commented publicly on the issue before - something which they have every ground to correctly assume would be expected of them by the militant Muslims who are most aggrieved.

In short, it's a statement they had to come out with. Especially since they have been at the United Nations for the Gernal Assembly opening since last week, but it has taken them all this time to come out with one. If they had thought it so crucial, they would and could have spoken out right away.

Note that a quotation from the OIC statement says 'retract or redress' the disputed statement. Well, the Pope can't retract the statement on behalf of Manuel II who said it 500 years ago - and these foreign ministers know that. Also, note that they expressed 'profound regrets' for the remarks rather than 'condemnation' which one might have expected.

And as for redress, did they really mean an apology? The news story says they "pressed Pope Benedict to apologize" in its lead sentence, but it does not cite a quotation with the word apology in it, so is the journalist taking it on himself to interpret 'redress' as 'apology'?

We have to wait to read the full actual statement.

Francesca in the main forum posts this bulletin from the news agency adnkronos, translated here:

AL-QAEDA GETS INTO THE ACT

Dubai, 27 Sept 2006 (Adnkronos/Aki) - A new message, presumably on video, by the #2 man of Al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, regarding the Pope's citation about Islam, will be aired in the next few hours.

This was announced on a bulletin banner by some Islamic Internet sites known to be close to Al-Qaeda.
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SHUT HIM UP, PLEASE!

Turkish PM repeats criticism
of Pope's Islam remarks

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan repeated on Wednesday his criticism of comments made by Pope Benedict about Islam that sparked Muslim protests and said even a politician would not have spoken in such a way.

Benedict, who is due to visit mainly Muslim but secular Turkey in November, has said he regretted hurting Muslims' feelings in a speech earlier this month which used a medieval quotation linking the spread of the Islamic faith to violence.

Erdogan, a pious Muslim who served a short jail sentence once for reciting a poem deemed Islamist by Turkey's secular authorities, said everybody, especially public figures such as the Pope, should show respect for other religions and cultures.

"The Pope is both a political and religious figure. But this person spoke in a way that is unfitting even for us politicians," Erdogan told an economic conference in Istanbul.

"When disrespect was shown for my Prophet (Mohammad) we could not tolerate this." Erdogan described the comments at the time as "ugly and unfortunate" and called for a papal apology.

"We love Jesus and Moses as much as our own Prophet. Nobody should try to meddle with our religion. The Pope made this mistake," Erdogan said. Muslims also revere Jesus Christ and Moses as prophets sent by God.

Echoing criticism from other Muslims that Benedict has not retracted his words, Erdogan said the Pope had made only "some maneuvers" which could be interpreted as a step back.

"Perhaps it was a slip of the tongue. I think our president will say the necessary things in his meeting with the Pope," Erdogan added.

Benedict upset Turkey even before becoming Pope by publicly opposing Ankara's bid to join the European Union. He is due to visit Ankara, Istanbul and the ancient site of Ephesus as a guest of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on November 28 to December 1.

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AND WOULD YOU BELIEVE THIS?
Discipula in the main forum posted this item from today's issue of La Stampa, translated here. I include it in this post as an example of where all this could be leading us in the Western world.

Berlin opera house
cancels a Mozart opera
so as not to offend Muslims
By Francesca Sforza

Who would hear of cutting off the head of Mohammed, even if it is along with that of Neptune, Buddha and Jesus Christ, even if it is a theatrical device, with a cardboard sword and catsup blood?

At Berlin's Deutsche Oper (the city's second opera house after the Staatsoper), they won't hear of it. "I am very sorry," said theater superintendent Kisten Harms, "but information from the police criminal division has indicated to us it would be an 'incalculable' security risk."

She was referring to the staging of Mozarts' opera Idomeneo, in a production by Hans Nuuenfels already seen here in 2003. Now, they are taking it off the program.

Is it fear of Islamic reprisal, the effect of the Danish cartoons, or the uproar that followed some words by the Pope? Definitely, such an act of auto-censorship is unheard of.

Germany is split between those who came to the support of the Pope and those who, even while making noises about freedom of expression, fear in their hearts any reaction from the strong Muslim presence in Germany.

It is the opera's final scene which is in question. In it, Neuenfels's Idomeneo* - presented here as Mozart's tribute to Enlightenment ideas - takes out of a sack the heads of gods and prophets, including Mohammed.

[Note: As this photo posted by Gerald Augustinus shows, the actual 'decapitations' are done onstage. As you can see it's opera in modern dress.]


"After what happened with the Danish cartoons," Frau Harms said, "we decided it was better not take the risk."

Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaueble called the cancellation "sheer folly" and Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit said it was "preventive auto-censorship that should not have been conceded".

But the government official most directly involved, Cultural Counsellor Thomas Flierl, expressed relief: "It's easy to speak, but if the streets of a city like Berlin erupt, how are wwe going to restore peace?"

The opera Idomeneo has been around for 200 years - with its ups and downs among both the public and critics. Neuenfels first staged his production in 2003.

At that time, there were some subdued "Boos" when the head of Jesus was seen, isolated murmurs with Buddha's head, and absolute silence with those of Neptune and Mohammed. The Jewish community did not take it amiss that Moses's head was not in the king's sack.

But that was another time.


*[Teresa's note: Idomeneo is the name of a king of Crete who according to legend, was one of the heroes who helped defeat Troy. The opera deals with his return to Crete after the Trojan wars. His ship goes down in a storm and to save himself, he calls on Neptune's aid, vowing that if he survived, he would kill the first person he met, who turns out to be his own son.....Well, it's a five-act drama! The opera was written by Mozart when he was 24 years old.

Further note on an opera 'production'- The term refers to the staging decided upon by the director, according to his interpretation of the opera. Nowadays, such stagings and interpretations often have very little to do with the actual content of the opera nor the composer's intentions.

If they can't just cut off or revise the potentially offensive scene, it can only mean it is critical and integral to Neuenfels's interpretation of the opera. .]

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 27/09/2006 17.02]

Here is the AsiaNews report on the general audience today. A full translation of the Holy Father's catechesis has been posted in the AUDIENCE AND ANGELUS thread.
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27 September, 2006
VATICAN
Pope: doubts of St Thomas
a support for those with
insecurities, uncertainties
about the faith

“Every doubt can lead to an enlightened outcome,” said Benedict XVI. He recalled the missionary work of Thomas in Syria and India, and greeted delegates of the Asian Mission Congress.


Flowers for the Pope at the general audience today

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The proverbial “unbelief” of Thomas is of comfort for all who have doubts and uncertainties, while the questions he asked Jesus about his divinity give “us too the right to ask Jesus for explanations”.

With this modern take, open to non- believers, Benedict XVI today resumed his catechesis on the personalities of the apostles, dedicating today’s to the apostle Thomas (known as “Didimo”, that is, twin).

Thomas is famous for his stipulation – after the resurrection of the Lord –that he would believe in Jesus’ resurrection only if he could put “my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side” (cfr Jn 20:25).

The pope said: “From these words, emerges the conviction that Jesus is now recognizable not so much from his face as much as his wounds. Thomas holds the wounds to be the qualifying signs of Jesus’ identity, which reveal the point to which He loved us. In this, the Apostle is not mistaken.”

The pontiff recalled that the demand to “see” and “touch” the wounds of the risen lord were satisfied by Jesus, who however reminded him that “Blessed are those who do not see and yet believe.”

And here Benedict XVI paved the way for believers and non believers who seek confirmation or verification of the Christian faith: “The case of the apostle Thomas is important for us for at least three reasons: first, because it comforts us in our insecurities; secondly, because doubt can lead to an enlightened outcome beyond all uncertainty, and finally, because the words spoken by Jesus remind us of the true meaning of mature faith, encouraging us to persevere, despite the difficulties, in our walk of devotion to Him.”


From today's audience

The catechesis about the personalities of the apostles serves not only to understand the history of the Church but also to grasp the present “what it means to follow Jesus”, as the pope himself explained at the start of the cycle.

Thus, from the resolve expressed by Thomas in the words spoken before the Passion of Jesus, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him’ (Jn 11:16), the pope said:

“His determination to follow the Teacher is truly exemplary and offers us a precious teaching: it reveals total availability to belong to Jesus, to the point of identifying one’s fate with His, to want to share with Him the supreme trial of death. In effect, the most important thing is never to distance oneself from Jesus.

"On the other hand, when the Gospels use the word ‘follow’, it means that where He goes, there his disciple should go too. In this way, Christian life is described as a life with Jesus Christ, one spent together with Him.

"St Paul wrote something similar when he reassured the Christians of Corinth: “You are in our hearts, to die together and to live together” (2 Cor 7:3). That which transpires between the Apostle and his Christians should, of course, be valid first of all for the relationship between Christians and Jesus himself.”

The pope also recalled the episode when Thomas, during the Last Supper, made it clear he did not understand the words of Jesus, asking him: ‘Lord we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ (Jn 14:5).

The pope said: “In reality, saying these words, he reveals quite a low level of understanding, but what he says gives Jesus the opportunity to make the celebrated response: ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ (Jn 14:6).

So it is primarily to Thomas that this revelation is made, but it counts for all of us. Every time we hear or read these words, our thoughts can go to the side of Thomas, to imagine that the Lord is talking to us as he talked to him. At the same time, his question confers upon us too the right, so to speak, to ask Jesus for explanations.”

And spontaneously, he added: “Often we also say: I don’t understand you Lord, help me to understand. In this way, we express the poverty of our capacity to understand and at the same time, we adopt the confident attitude of one who expects light and strength from he who is able to give it.”

Finally, the pope recalled that, according to ancient tradition, Thomas evangelized Syria and Persia, reaching western India, from where Christianity later reached southern India too.

In this missionary perspective,” concluded the pope, “we end our reflection, expressing hope that the example of Thomas will increasingly invigorate our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God.”

At today’s audience, more than 30,000 pilgrims were present. Among them were delegates of the Asian Mission Congress, which will be held in Chiang Mai (Thailand) from 18 to 22 October. The pope greeted them in English.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 28/09/2006 19.50]

Typically Benedictine exegesis! Clarity, brilliance, like a beautiful diamond. I hope the Vatican press is going to publish these homilies on the apostles. Here even doubting Thomas becomes a help for those who doubt the faith. Pope Benedict is not only a brilliant theologian, but a superb catechist. Too bad he can't be cloned!

Better yet, it was reported last summer that the series on the Apostles might be from the big book the Holy Father is writing about Jesus.

Benedict’s Lepanto

9/26/2006
National Catholic Register

Our Lady of Victory, pray for us.

October is upon us, a whole month dedicated to the rosary. Soon we will be celebrating Our Lady of the Rosary, which is the new name given to the feast previously called Our Lady of Victory.

It may seem incongruous, harking back to Our Lady of Victory as Pope Benedict XVI takes remarkable steps to show his respect for Islam and rebuild bridges with Muslims. After all, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on Oct. 7 – the anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto.

But there are clear parallels to our day – parallels that we should take to heart.

As Ottoman invaders threatened to round the Gulf of Corinth into the western Mediterranean and threaten Europe, Pope Pius V (1504-1572) called for two kinds of action. One was a military defense, but just as important was his call for Christians to reform themselves. On the day of the decisive Battle of Lepanto, the holy father led a rosary procession in Rome, and called for all Christendom to pray.

It worked – the would-be invaders turned back in defeat.

Today, a new pope is calling for two a two pronged action of his own. Just like Pius V, he wants us to pray – and he wants us to join a battle every bit as difficult as the one Pius V called the church to in his day. Only for Pope Benedict, love and reason are the weapons of choice.

Not that Pius V was much different. It’s as unfair to sum up his pontificate with the Battle of Lepanto as it is to sum up Benedict with his words quoting a 14th-century emperor on Mohammed at his Sept. 12 University of Regensburg speech.

Pope Pius V began his priesthood as a professor, and began his work in the Vatican in the office later to be occupied by Pope Benedict. His pontificate targeted sex scandals among the clergy, decried Protestantism – the relativism of his day – and demanded that the Council of Trent be strictly adhered to, not just a “spirit of Trent.”

Pope Benedict’s pontificate is also more focused on the Christianity of Europe than it is on any threat to the West or any other religion. On Sept. 8, speaking to Canadian bishops, the holy father spelled out his mission, echoing words that he has used throughout his pontificate.

The holy father identified the fundamental problem of our day as “the split between the gospel and culture, with the exclusion of God from the public sphere.” The church’s mission is to repair the split, he said, by helping people “recognize and experience the love of Christ.”

It’s of a piece with what we have heard from him before. He is critical of “the dictatorship of relativism” and sees the only answer in “friendship with Jesus.”

In September, Pope Benedict spent far more time promoting this vision than he did speaking about Islam.

He continually pointed Catholics to Jesus, asking them to spend time with him, to get to know him. Before he left for Bavaria, he set the tone for what was to follow, saying Jesus “is not only a teacher but a friend, and, more than that, a brother. How can we know him if we keep a distance from him? Intimacy, familiarity and knowledge help us to discover Jesus Christ’s true identity.”

On Sept. 11, he begged parents to introduce their children to Jesus through the Mass. “Dear parents! I ask you to help your children to grow in faith. … Please, go with your children to church and take part in the Sunday eucharistic celebration! You will see that this is not time lost; rather, it is the very thing that can keep your family truly united and centered.”

That same day, he gave an impassioned plea to Catholics to turn to Mary as a way to get close to Jesus, saying, “Holy mother of God, pray for us, just as at Cana you prayed for the bride and the bridegroom! Guide us toward Jesus – ever anew! Amen!”

On Sept. 12, the day of the fateful words, he defined friendship as “being with” the other, saying “eucharistic adoration is an essential way of being with the Lord.”

Pope Benedict XVI is much more concerned that we think about who Jesus is than that we think about who Mohammed is. He wants us to reconnect with the basic things that bring us into friendship with Christ: Sunday Mass, confession, prayer, works of charity.

That’s why, for Benedict, the call to meet Islam in dialogue is as bold and courageous as Pius V’s call to meet invaders in the Gulf of Corinth. For him, dialogue means telling the truth in love, no matter what the consequence – even when it infuriates.

Our job is to do what Catholics in Pius V’s day did. Listen to the voice of Peter and act. If we turn to Jesus as they did, we’ll be just as gratified with the results. And if we don’t? Then today’s “Battle of Lepanto” will end very differently.

---

For him, dialogue means telling the truth in love, no matter what the consequence – even when it infuriates.

---

The heart of the matter, if one truly wants genuine dialog!

I am very gratified for the brilliant parallels that the author of the above article draws between Pius V and Benedict VXI at this particular moment in the Papacy, because the writer also gives more information about the Battle of Lepanto referred to by Elizabeth Lev in her article posted here earlier about Roman reservations in the face of strident Muslim threats against the Pope.

In my comments on her article, I mentioned that we in the Philippines are particularly devoted to Our Lady of the Rosary as Patroness of the Christian triumph at Lepanto - and subsequently, Patroness of the city of Manila. The Dominicans brought an image to the Philippines in the late 16th century, not long after the battle itself, and we have venerated her since.

And it won't be amiss if I remind everyone that praying the Rosary every day is a very salutary spiritual exercise. In these days, we would all do well to offer a daily Rosary for the Pope and his intentions, as some of us already do. (I have found you can pray the whole set of four mysteries, and more, every day while commuting - it shuts off all the distractions.]

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 27/09/2006 20.10]

Salman Rushdie feels sorry for the Pope

Wednesday, 27 September , 2006, 09:02
Sify

London: Controversial NRI novelist Salman Rushdie has said he feels "sorry" for Pope Benedict XVI, whose comments about Islam recently angered the Muslim community across the world.

"I'm in the unusual position of feeling sorry for the Pope. It's a first for me. I just think people should calm down a bit. This immediate, manufactured outrage that takes place is getting to be excessive," he said in an interview to The Times newspaper on Tuesday.

"Look at the things that are not being protested about. In Darfur you've got a Muslim massacre of other Muslims. Why aren't there demonstrations about that in the Muslim world? That seems to me to be a much bigger thing than the Pope using a 15th-century quote," Rushdie, against whom the then Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a ‘fatwa’ in 1989, said.

Asked to comment on the term Islamo-fascist, Rushdie said, "I think there are fascists who use Islamic ideas, so I've no problem with the term."

"Islamophobia is a word that I do disapprove of quite a lot because it seems to me there is no reason why you should not dislike an idea. But if you have ideas that I don't like, it's perfectly okay for me to be phobic about them."

"To use that as a term of criticism is very anti-intellectual. There are people who dislike my ideas who have not been afraid of being phobic about them," he added.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 27/09/2006 20.19]

Lella just posted an Italian news agency bulletin to the effect that-

Henry Kissinger will be having a private audience with Pope Benedict tomorrow at Castel Gandolfo.

The former U.S. Secretary of State in the Nixon and Ford administrations is in Italy for a series of meeting and has already seen Prime Minister Romano Prodi and President Giorgio Napolitano.

The conversation between the two on Islam and its consequences on today's Realpolitik should be fascinating!

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 06/10/2006 23.04]

---

I just think people should calm down a bit. This immediate, manufactured outrage that takes place is getting to be excessive... Look at the things that are not being protested about. In Darfur you've got a Muslim massacre of other Muslims. Why aren't there demonstrations about that in the Muslim world? That seems to me to be a much bigger thing than the Pope using a 15th-century quote. - Salman Rushdie, writer

---

Very sensible words from Salman Rushdie. But is he courting another fatwa? Bravo for speaking out his mind regardless!

PEOPLE WANT TO READ THE LECTURE!

Maybe this has been reported elsewhere, but several days ago, the Italian news agency APCOM had this brief item, datelines Sept. 22 from the Vatican:

The Vatican publishing house, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, reports that requests have neen pouring in from all over the world for copies of the Pope's Regensburg lecture in the respective native tongues of the letter-writers.

At the moment, the Vatican online site only carries the German original, and the translations in Italian and English.

We can only hope the Vatican has mobilized all its translators from Vatican Radio and the Secretariat of State to satisfy these requests.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 27/09/2006 20.33]

It looks like the English media have been slow to make an initial assessment of the Pope's meeting with Muslim ambassadors and the representatives of Italian Muslims. Either they consider the event nothing more than 'pro forma' or no one wants to speak too soon!

Not so, the Italians for whom Papal affairs are of immediate interest, being mostly played out right within their own territory. Magdi Allam took the lead yesterday. Now, here's another analysis from a veteran Vatican commentarist, writing for Il Giornale today. Here is a translation:

----------------------------------------------------------------

Papa Ratzinger
catches Islam off guard
By Massimo Introvigne


Many reckless 'vaticanisti' (professional Vatican watchers) believed they already knew the day before the event that Benedict XVI would limit himself to speaking about peace, friendship and good feelings to the ambassadors from Muslim states.

It didn't turn out that way, and the Pope - the metaphor is not meant to be disrespectful (to his guests) - certainly caught everyone off guard. And did so magnificently.

Above all, the event itself reminds us of the tight unity of politics and religion in Islam. If the Pope had wished to adress Protestants, for example, he would have invited bishops and ministers, but not the ambassadors of, say, Denmark or the United Kingdom.

But to address Islam, he called the ambassadors of the states with Muslim majorities, perhaps a visual reminder to the naive (or those who feign naivete) that the true guides of the Islamic community are those who govern, not the preachers or university scholars.



It's true that representatives of Muslims living in Italy were also present, but even they have political positions, having been chosen [for the Conusltative Council for Muslims in Italy] by the Berlusconi government, not by the Italian Muslims themselves.

Given that religion and politics are so tightly bound in Islam, the Pope therefore decided to address those who are in a position to decide, offering a dialog that he said was indispensable, yes, but with two precise conditions.

The first is that any manifestation of violence must be opposed, without exception. The Pope knew well enough that among his guests - foreigners or Italians - were some fundamentalists. But in some ways, he adopted the American strategy enounciated by Condoleeza Rice of a 'global Muslim outreach' - a hand stretched out to Muslims everywhere.

One can talk with non-radical, i.e., non-violent, fundamentalists as long as they repudiate terrorism without distinction - which means saying No not only to Bin Laden but also to the terrorists who attack Israel.

But Benedict XVI said more, in a sense going beyond Regensburg. For many Muslims, there is a taboo word that is never said: reciprocity. Exploiting to their advantage the Western ideology of multi-culturalism, they affirm that each culture should be judged according to its traditions.

Therefore they think it is only right that Muslims can build mosques and seek converts in the West, consistent with the Western principle of religious freedom, as it is only right that in Saudi Arabia, for instance, Christians cannot build churches, and in great parts of the Muslim world, cannot seek converts, because Islamic culture does not allow that.

Relativism today allows Muslims to maintain that there are no universal human rights that can be imposed on everyone regardless of the local context. That is why it is normal that religious freedom protects Muslims in Rome but not Christians in Pakistan.

And this is what gave the Pope an opportunity to make his countermove.

Responding implicitly to those who have accused him of being more hardline on Islam than John Paul II, he cited his predecessor who, in a "memorable" speech in 1985 in Casablanca, reminded Muslims present, including the King of Morocco, that ther are universal rights, that religious freedom is not limited to freedom of worship but includes missionary activity and conversion, and that dialog requires 'reciprocity in all areas, especially where it concerns fundamental freedoms, and most particularly, religious freedom."

The word that was to be avoided was said and resounded strong and clear: reciprocity. His guests must have taken stock: It's easy to attack a quotation from Manuel II Paleologos, but how do you deal with someone who cites John Paul II, who is very popular even in Muslim countries?

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 28/09/2006 0.29]

The Holy Father reciprocates in gesture the traditional greeting from some Indians who were at the general audience today, 9/27/06.

Vatican tries to reassure
Muslims from UN podium
By Howard Goller

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27, 2006 (Reuters) - The Vatican used the stage of the United Nations on Wednesday to try to make amends for remarks by Pope Benedict that drew fury from Muslims worldwide.

Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, governor of Vatican City, told the 192-member U.N. General Assembly that the pope had voiced sadness at the possible misinterpretation of quotes linking Muslims and violence.

"His real intention was to explain that 'not religion and violence, but religion and reason go together,' in the context of a critical vision of a society which seeks to exclude God from public life," Lajolo said.

The pope, 79, has faced persistent criticism despite four attempts to make amends, without actually apologising directly, for a speech he gave on September 12 in his native Germany.

His last effort was in Italy on Monday when he spoke to diplomats from some 20 Muslim countries plus leaders of Italy's own Muslim community.

In New York, foreign ministers of the 56-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference, meeting on the sidelines of the General Assembly, had urged the pope to "retract or redress" the comments.

Benedict enraged Muslims two weeks ago by quoting 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, who said everything the Prophet Mohammad brought was evil "such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

The Muslim foreign ministers said in a statement on Tuesday they feared the pope's language might engender tension between the Muslim world and the Vatican.

Lajolo, who only 12 days ago stepped down as Vatican foreign minister, said: "It falls to all interested parties -- to civil society as well as to states -- to promote religious freedom and a sane, social tolerance that will disarm extremists even before they can begin to corrupt others with their hatred of life and liberty."

The pope is facing the toughest international crisis since his election in April 2005 -- and, despite praise from some prominent Muslims -- the severity of some reactions has raised doubts about his planned trip to Turkey in November*.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan again criticized the pope on Wednesday, saying even a politician would not have spoken in such a way.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Erdogan is talking crap and playing to the voters. He is protecting his majority in Parliament.

*Serious doubts? The last we read from Ankara and Istanbul was that preparations continue for the trip. The Foreign Ministry has announced more than once that the trip is on - it did so the first time shortly after the outbreak of 'Regensburg rage' and reiterated it several days ago.

Not that one can be gung-ho about the trip to Turkey, in view of the great physical risk for the Holy Father.

But the Pope has two main objectives for the voyage: a joint celebration of St. Andrew's feast with the Orthodox Patriarch, and to show support for the small and endangered Christian community in that country.

And as he is formally a guest of the Turkish President, one can presume he will speak to him about the right to religious freedom of the Christians in Turkey. Maybe his personal diplomacy can convince Turkish leaders of the value of reasoned and reasonable dialog.


BY THE WAY, the Turkish ambassador was among those at Castel Gandolfo on Monday. Did anyone try to get a statement from him afterwards? If no, why not? Maybe he said something to the Turkish media? If anybody saw anything related to this, please share.
----------------------------------------------------------------

The AP has a more extensive report on Lajolo's speech, in which it appears the Vatican pressed the Pope's message against violence in the name of religion, even denouncing the attitudw that possession of nuclear weapons is 'a matter of national pride. Will this touch off new reactions from touchy Muslims including Iran? :

Vatican: Extremists undermining religion
By ANNA DOLGOV, Associated Press Writer
Thu Sep 28, 2006


UNITED NATIONS - The Vatican's foreign minister said Wednesday that misunderstanding between cultures is breeding a "new barbarism" and expressed hope that reason and dialogue would stop those who use their faith as a pretext for attacks.

In a speech on the closing day of the U.N. General Assembly's ministerial meeting, Giovanni Lajolo said extremists are far from devout and undermine the very religion they claim to defend.

"Violent reactions are always a falsification of true religion," Lajolo said in a passage devoted to the pope's Sept. 12 speech at Regensburg University in Germany.

Benedict XVI quoted words attributed to a 14th century Byzantine emperor: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

Muslims angered by the remarks took to the streets in Indonesia, Turkey and Syria. Churches were attacked in the West Bank; an effigy of the pope was burned in Iraq; and a nun was shot dead in Somalia in an apparently related attack.

Lajolo reiterated the Vatican's view that Benedict's remarks were misinterpreted. He said the pope has sought only to promote rational dialogue and understanding.

Benedict has expressed regret for offending Muslims and said they did not reflect his personal views, but he has not offered a complete apology as some had sought.

Lajolo suggested that the anger may also lie in the lack of understanding between religions, and a schism between reason and faith.

"As the Pope affirmed, were reason to turn a deaf ear to the divine and relegate religion to the ambit of subcultures, it would automatically provoke violent reactions," Lajolo, who also serves as president of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State, told the assembly.

"It falls to all interested parties — to civil society as well as to states — to promote religious freedom and a sane, social tolerance that will disarm extremists even before they can begin to corrupt others with their hatred of life and liberty," he said.

Lajolo referred to the story of the Tower of Babel, saying the "confusion of tongues" in the Biblical city was a symbol of fracturing and hostilities in the contemporary world.

"Human pride hampers the acknowledgment of one's neighbor and the recognition of his or her needs and even more makes people distrusting," he said.

"Today, that same negative fundamental attitude has given rise to a new barbarism that threatens world peace," the Vatican minister said.

Terrorists bent on "rejecting the best achievements of our civilization" are one example, Lajolo said.

Major powers, in their attempt to make the world more fair, may also occasionally slide into believing that this can only be achieved by force, he said.

"It can go so far as to regard the possession of nuclear weapons as an element of national pride," he said.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 28/09/2006 13.00]

Here is a translation of Avvenire's account of reactions by some Italian Muslims who attended the Monday audience at Castel Gandolfo with the Holy Father.
----------------------------------------------------------------


Clear words for
a true dialog
By Giovanni Ruggiero

There are two fears to be conquered: Islam's and the West's. One's fear of the other.

After Castel Gandolfo, to turn the page in Christian-Muslim relations means that faith and reason must go hand in hand on equal footing.

Younis Tawfik, writer of Iraqi origin, was one of those who met with the Pope. He knows that the encounter between the two worlds is difficult and needs much work, but he is confident:
"The Pope has made us understand that one can have a dialog between equals with full respect of the other's thinking. We must become used to listening to the other side even if we could be offended, even if we could be criticized. Because criticism will make us reflect."

Tawfik thinks that the faith-and-reason formula, well and corectly interpreted, would be the basis for dialog and encounter: "The Pope has invited everyone to give more room to reason, something that has been neglected in Islam after Averroes' time. But now there is some debate in the Islamic world that can even lead to some sort of confrontation with the extremists. A personality like the Pope who intervenes from otuside in such a clear and courageous manner helps us to reflect."

He adds: "Among us, an excess of faith has led to integralism and a violent Islam. In the West, an excess of reason has overwhelmed faith and has led to relativism. Islam is horrified by a world that it considers corrupt."

Souad Sbai, president of the association of Moroccan women in Italy, says dialog has two meanings: not to do harm, and to transmit values.

"One path we can take together is to face challenges against freedom. It would unite us to work together and discuss these rights to be defended, to transmit values without ambiguity, as the Pope said, but helping each other to be able to live together. We should never tire of transmitting the value of human rights amd the that of Equality between men and women," she says.

The Moroccan journalist thinks that reciprocity with regard to religious freedom should be the basis for every encounter. She referred to the Islamic Center in Rome as a possible meeting ground. "Through this Center, which is the largest of its kind in Europe, the dialog can be diffused to the rest of the Muslim world. It can act like a sieve to select those groups with which it is possible to carry on a dialog."

Mohammed Saady, co-president of the association of Muslim expatriates, lives in Naples. He says that he has not encountered any restrictions within Italy and calls himself perfectly integrated.

"If you travel in Casablanca, Tunis, Algeria, or Cairo," he assures us, "you will find a majority of young people who continue to regard the West and the Pope with respect and admiration [How true is this?], but if signs of intolerance should come from the West itself, even if these may be manipulated, then these young people will yield to the terrorists, embrace their cause, and not the least, they will be voices destined to die."

9/11 did not only bring fear to the West but even the need to become interested in Islam. Ejaz Ahmad, of Pakistani origin, also feels himself fully integrated in Italian society. "We want to live Islam here in Italy, but our children should learn about the religion of this country so that they may live here with full knowledge of Italian culture and in reciprocal respect."

All the Muslim representatives agreed that the meeting with the Pope had been fruitful. Their statements all had the same positive tone.

"The meeting," said Abdellah Redouane, secretary-general of the Islamic Center of Rome, "went very well. It was an important step forward after the series of clarifications that followed the Pope's lecture in Regensburg. We have gone beyond the tensions of the past several days, and now we should intensify our efforts to favor ongoing dialog. It is important for world peace."

Klalid Chaouki spoke for the Consultative Council for Italian Muslims: "Benedict XVI was very clear in stating the need for dialog, and we invite the Muslim world to welcome his words of great esteem and recognition, and pursue the course he suggests."

The Pope was given a crate of dates, a book on Mohammed and another on the Virgin Mary by Mohammed Nour Dachan, president of UCCOI, who also gave him a letter asking him to be a sponsor for the fifth annual celebration of a Day of Christian-Islamic dialog onb October 20, which will be the last Friday of teh Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Mario Scialoja, president of the Italian section of the World Muslim League, and Imam Sergio Pallavicini of Milan, proposed that Jewish leaders should be invited to draw up together a joint statement among the three religions that would "further favor this new path of dialog."

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 28/09/2006 4.50]

Here's a reaction to Magdi Allam's commentary in yesterday's Corriere della Sera on the rightness of the Pope's decision to meet with the ambassadors of Muslim states. in an effort to promote the genuine inter-religious and inter-cultural dialog that he advocates. Josie in the main forum posted this from the online opinion site libero pensiero (free thought). Here is a translation :

Magdi Allam was right to praise the Pope's decision to meet with representatives of Islamic states instead of religious authorities.

And the Pope was admirable in standing up for the principle of reciprocity.

Both ideas are in fact tightly bound together. If the Pope would ask a Muslim religious leader to favor reciprocity, his interlocutor could well respond - and rightly - that it is not in his power to do so.

Indeed, the dialog with Islam must be adapted to what it actually is. It is hardly discussed, but Islam - in the states in which it is the majority religion - is subject to the state (if not part of it).

For example Sheikh Al-Tantawi, rector of Sunni Islam's most prestigious university, Al-Azhar in Egypt, was appointed by the government. Just as in Saudi Arabia and in many other Muslim states, the speeches by the imams are controlled by political authorities.

This has given rise to one of the errors in the 'dialog' with Islam so far. For years, it was presumed that one would dialog with an autonomous religion, such as Christianity or Judaism, whereas the real dialog partner should be the governments.

Therefore - and here is how Papa Ratzinger was revolutionary - why not speak directly to the heads of government, through their ambassadors plenipotentiary, in this case? After all, it is only the governments that can give concrete answers on the issue of religious freedom and reciprocity.

Let us hope that the era of inconclusive encounters in behalf of religious freedom is at an end, and that both sides can finally speak directly about reciprocity.

It is time that the governments of the Muslim states are held responsible for the religious choices that they make, negative as well as positive.

Let us also hope that the Pope will not be left unsupported by the politicians of the West. After all, this is one way to help promote moderate Islam.
-----------------------------------------------------------

And another very good short piece posted on libero, an online journal of news and opinion, shared with us by Eugenia in the main forum and translated here:


Contrary to what many observers think, the events that followed Benedict XVI's lecture at the University of Regensburg confirm the correctness of his diagnosis and the urgency of his propositions.

We are at a paradoxical conjunction:
On the one hand, the Pontiff of the Roman Church shows candid trust in the God-given rational nature of man, and does not exclude anyone from the task of working for the spread of reason.

On the other hand, the presumptive heirs of the Enlightenment - epitomized in the now-infamous editorial of the New York Times - who would rap on the knuckles of those who dare to exercise the human right to logos and call down darkness over the earth in the name of peace. A peace which is submission to the threats of those who respond to the weapons of criticism with actual weapons of violence.

In this suicide of secular 'enlightenment', several factors deserve mention:

the growing influence of Arab money on the Western media and the conditioning which that has begun to exercise on the freedom of expression;

secular intolerance which would confine religion to liturgical rites and irenism, reserving to the new clergy of editors and intellectuals the authority to decide what the people should think;

and finally, the attitude of treating mankind as if it were a nursery school, composed of disturbed Muslim children with whom one cannot reason because then they might lose control of themselves, and non-Muslim children who should shut up, even when they see the emperor is naked, because their 'parents', the secular intelligentsia, know better than they what is appropriate to say or not to say.

The infantilization of humanity is the extreme outcome of this twilight of Western rationalism.

The Pope's proposal of a new alliance of faith and reason is an alternative course that should be considered.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 28/09/2006 4.47]

Here's the story from Reuters about the Holy Father's remarks at the presentation of credentials by the new German ambassador to the Holy See, which took place in Castel Gandolfo earlier today.

The Holy Father delivered a rather lengthy address in German, which I will be translating because he touches on so many important matters for the German Church as for the universal Church.
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Pope urges religious tolerance,
openness to others

VATICAN CITY, Sept. 28, 2006 (Reuters) - Still under a cloud for recent remarks about Islam, Pope Benedict called on Thursday for tolerance of other religions and cultures and said a rebirth of faith could help foster this openness in western countries.

The German Pontiff told Berlin's new ambassador to the Vatican that the Roman Catholic Church would never force anyone to accept the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Muslim leaders worldwide have criticized Benedict for a speech two weeks ago hinting that Islam had been spread by the sword and brought only evil to the world. The Pope has expressed regret at the uproar four times but has not withdrawn his words.

"Tolerance and cultural openness must characterize meetings with other people," he told Ambassador Hans-Henning Horstmann, who was presenting his credentials at the papal summer residence at Castelgandolfo, south of Rome.

"The Church does not impose itself, because the faith in Jesus Christ that it proclaims can only occur in freedom."

Quoting a sermon he gave during his recent trip to Bavaria, Benedict said the world needed a tolerance "that includes reverence for God, a reverence for what is sacred to others."

"This reverence can only be regenerated in the Western world if belief in God grows again," he added.

Benedict warned against confusing tolerance with outright indifference to others, saying: "Real tolerance always requires respect for other people, who are creations of God and whose existence has been reaffirmed by God."

The Pope said the Holy See, while naturally concerned about the fate of Christians around the world, wanted to work "with all people of good will to serve people, their dignity, their integrity and their freedom."

Benedict also used the occasion to reiterate his opposition to abortion, civil unions and embryonic stem cell research and urged Berlin not to replace the current religion classes in state schools with what he called "value-free" ethics classes.

He also urged Germany not to expel Christian asylum seekers who suffer religious persecution in their home countries, which the Vatican has said occurs in some majority Muslim states.

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The audiences at Castel Gandolfo today must have been sehr gemuetlich for the Pope - it was an-all German line-up:

Hans-Henning Horstmann, Ambasciatore della Repubblica Federale di Germania presso la Santa Sede, in occasione della presentazione delle Lettere Credenziali;

il Dott. Günter Hirsch, Presidente della Corte di Cassazione della Repubblica Federale di Germania, con la Consorte;

il Dott. Henry A. Kissinger (who is, of course, German-born)
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And we have a picture provided to the media
by Osservatore Romano. The caption says the Pope
and his guest are looking through a historic book -
a gift from Kissinger or a Vatican treasure?
Oh to have been a fly on the wall at this audience!

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 28/09/2006 22.50]

Corriere della Sera and Libero provided very cogent evaluations of the Pope's approach to Islam. Once again, Reuters ("still under a cloud") showed that its reporters do not understand. The Pope, as he did in his sermon before the conclave, is urging us to be ADULTS. Islam has to take care of its own children, but we Christians (and Catholics, here) need to see that our secularist children grow up and stop acting as though their words and actions have no consequences. Multiculturalism, coupled with lack of deep conviction in our own faith, will kill us. We need to seek the Truth and nothing less. God bless Pope Benedict! Ad multos annos vivas!

Avvenire today follows up on its story (translation posted in this thread yesterday) from Berlin about opera and Islam. Here is the gist (rest of the story to be posted in the ...ISLAM thread):

The Chancellor of Germany has once again shown her mettle (having been the first and only European head of government to speak up for the Pope in the Regensburg controversy).

Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken up on the Deutsche Oper's cancellation of the Mozart opera Idomeneo from its program this year so as not to risk offending Muslims, and finds the theater's auto-censorhip unacceptable.

"I don't think self-censorship will help us in facing persons who want to use violence in the name of Islamic fundamentalism...We must face this question now. We cannot go backward,» she is quoted in an interview with Hannover Neue Presse.
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Imagine what it might be if Gerhard Schroeder were still Chancellor! He and Chirac defer to Islam as Chamberlain did to Hitler.!

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 28/09/2006 22.52]