Translated material
I read Paleologus, but I don’t agree with him
Pope's respect for Islam deepens
Yesterday, at his summer residence, 79-year-old Pope Benedict XVI received representatives of Muslim communities for the first time in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. Among them were ambassadors from 22 countries accredited to the Holy See, including Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Indonesia, and the Arab League. 16 leaders of Islamic communities in Italy were also called to the Pope.The meeting took place during the Muslim holy days of Ramadan. “A wonderful, most desirable step that the Pope could take,” Ahmad Fahim, First Secretary of the Iranian Embassy to the Vatican, called the event.
The pontiff assured those gathered of his “full and deep respect” for Islam. For the fourth time, he gave explanations about his speech at the University of the German city of Regensburg being misperceived by the Muslim world. The ill-fated lecture dealt with the historical and philosophical differences between Christianity and Islam, and the concept of holy war. The words quoted by the pontiff from the 14th century Byzantine ruler Manuel II Palaiologos, who claimed that the Prophet Muhammad brought only “evil and inhumane” things to the world and spread religion with the sword, provoked an explosion of indignation among Muslims.
Yesterday, the Pope emphasized that he does not agree with Manuel II Palaiologos. Benedict XVI called on all believers, regardless of religion, to reject violence and unite in confronting the many challenges and threats to humanity, “especially when it comes to human dignity.” He called dialogue between religions a “vital necessity”, on which “the future largely depends.”
All those present received a personal handshake from the pontiff, but the guests were not allowed to speak. They will convey their point of view to the Holy See in writing. On the eve of the meeting, the vice-president of one of the leading Islamic organizations in Italy, Yahya Pallavicini, spoke critically about manifestations of the “exclusiveness of Catholic Christianity.”
In his conversation with Muslims, the Pontiff also touched upon the issue of respecting freedom of conscience: the Holy See is interested in expanding the religious activities of Christian minorities in Islamic countries. The head of the European Union, Jose Manuel Barroso, welcomed the interfaith dialogue of the Holy See and called on European leaders to support the Pope in resolving the conflict with Muslims that arose because of the Regensburg lecture.