Green Energy
- Catholics And Muslims Begin Landmark Talks At Vatican
From Reuters: VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Senior Vatican and Islamic scholars launched their first Catholic-Muslim Forum on Tuesday to improve relations between the world's two largest faiths by discussing what unites and divides them.The three-day...
- Muslim Whining About The Pope
U.S. Muslims perceive slights, from the April 20, 2008 edition of the Washington Post: ...[M]any Muslims in America remain wary, saying the pope has created the impression that he is insensitive to their faith. [...] Some Muslim leaders invited to meet...
- Pope's Baptism Of Muslim Is "triumphalist Tool"
No, Peter North is a "triumphalist tool". A Papal baptism the day before Easter is Catholicism being Catholic. From the BBC (with thanks to Bayan): A Muslim scholar involved in high-level dialogue with the Vatican has denounced the Pope's baptism...
- All Your Apologies Are Belong To Us
"Fadlallah, one of the world's top Shia Muslim clerics, said: "We demand that [the Pope] apologise personally" Pope Benedict XVI was last night facing angry demands from Muslims that he apologise for a speech in which he appeared to condemn the concept...
- The Pope Sends Mixed Messages About Islam
Pope Benedict seems to get it, and then he seems to lose his head in an orifice one doesn't usually associate with Holiness: VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI urged Islamic countries to ensure religious rights for Christian migrants Monday while also...
Green Energy
Pope Invites "Senior Muslims" To Vatican Meeting
The Pope wants to meet with Muslims who sent him a letter calling for better dialogue between religions. From Breitbart:
The pope praised the "positive spirit" behind the October 11 message signed by 138 top Muslims from around the world and sent to Christian leaders, said Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone in the letter sent in Pope Benedict's name.
The pope wanted to meet a representative group of the signatories at the Vatican, he added in the letter sent to Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, head of the Institute for Islamic Thought in Amman.
"The Pope has asked me to convey his gratitude to Your Royal Highness and to all who signed the letter," Bertone wrote.
"He also wishes to express his deep appreciation for this gesture, for the positive spirit which inspired the text and for the call for a common commitment to promoting peace in the world.
"Without ignoring or downplaying our differences as Christians and Muslims, we can and therefore should look to what unites us, namely, belief in the one God, the provident Creator and universal Judge who at the end of time will deal with each person according to his or her actions. We are all called to commit ourselves totally to him and to obey his sacred will."
The letter said the pope "was particularly impressed by the attention given in the letter to the twofold commandment to love God and one's neighbour."
It recalled Pope Benedict's statement in August 2005 soon after he took office that "we must not yield to the negative pressures in our midst, but must affirm the values of mutual respect, solidarity and peace.
"The life of every human being is sacred, both for Christians and for Muslims. There is plenty of scope for us to act together in the service of fundamental moral values."
"Such common ground allows us to base dialogue on effective respect for the dignity of every human person, on objective knowledge of the religion of the other, on the sharing of religious experience and, finally, on common commitment to promoting mutual respect and acceptance among the younger generation," the letter went on.
"The Pope is confident that, once this is achieved, it will be possible to cooperate in a productive way in the areas of culture and society, and for the promotion of justice and peace in society and throughout the world."
Bertone said that with a view to encouraging the "praiseworthy initiative" from the Muslim leaders, "His Holiness would be most willing to receive Your Royal Highness and a restricted group of signatories of the open letter, chosen by you.
"At the same time, a working meeting could be organized between your delegation and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, with the cooperation of some specialized Pontifical Institutes (such as the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies and the Pontifical Gregorian University)."
The precise details of these meetings could be decided later, should this proposal prove acceptable, the letter said.
Hey, the CVF is meeting with the Vlaams Belang who say they are no longer a party peopled by racists. George Bush is meeting with Palestinians who say they want peace. The Pope is meeting with Muslims who say they want dialogue.
Everyone is meeting everyone else.
Things are really looking up.
Excuse me now, I'm gonna go meet with my shrink.
You can read the letter from the Muslims who, apparently, want peace by clicking here.
The pope praised the "positive spirit" behind the October 11 message signed by 138 top Muslims from around the world and sent to Christian leaders, said Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone in the letter sent in Pope Benedict's name.
The pope wanted to meet a representative group of the signatories at the Vatican, he added in the letter sent to Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, head of the Institute for Islamic Thought in Amman.
"The Pope has asked me to convey his gratitude to Your Royal Highness and to all who signed the letter," Bertone wrote.
"He also wishes to express his deep appreciation for this gesture, for the positive spirit which inspired the text and for the call for a common commitment to promoting peace in the world.
"Without ignoring or downplaying our differences as Christians and Muslims, we can and therefore should look to what unites us, namely, belief in the one God, the provident Creator and universal Judge who at the end of time will deal with each person according to his or her actions. We are all called to commit ourselves totally to him and to obey his sacred will."
The letter said the pope "was particularly impressed by the attention given in the letter to the twofold commandment to love God and one's neighbour."
It recalled Pope Benedict's statement in August 2005 soon after he took office that "we must not yield to the negative pressures in our midst, but must affirm the values of mutual respect, solidarity and peace.
"The life of every human being is sacred, both for Christians and for Muslims. There is plenty of scope for us to act together in the service of fundamental moral values."
"Such common ground allows us to base dialogue on effective respect for the dignity of every human person, on objective knowledge of the religion of the other, on the sharing of religious experience and, finally, on common commitment to promoting mutual respect and acceptance among the younger generation," the letter went on.
"The Pope is confident that, once this is achieved, it will be possible to cooperate in a productive way in the areas of culture and society, and for the promotion of justice and peace in society and throughout the world."
Bertone said that with a view to encouraging the "praiseworthy initiative" from the Muslim leaders, "His Holiness would be most willing to receive Your Royal Highness and a restricted group of signatories of the open letter, chosen by you.
"At the same time, a working meeting could be organized between your delegation and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, with the cooperation of some specialized Pontifical Institutes (such as the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies and the Pontifical Gregorian University)."
The precise details of these meetings could be decided later, should this proposal prove acceptable, the letter said.
Hey, the CVF is meeting with the Vlaams Belang who say they are no longer a party peopled by racists. George Bush is meeting with Palestinians who say they want peace. The Pope is meeting with Muslims who say they want dialogue.
Everyone is meeting everyone else.
Things are really looking up.
Excuse me now, I'm gonna go meet with my shrink.
You can read the letter from the Muslims who, apparently, want peace by clicking here.
- Catholics And Muslims Begin Landmark Talks At Vatican
From Reuters: VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Senior Vatican and Islamic scholars launched their first Catholic-Muslim Forum on Tuesday to improve relations between the world's two largest faiths by discussing what unites and divides them.The three-day...
- Muslim Whining About The Pope
U.S. Muslims perceive slights, from the April 20, 2008 edition of the Washington Post: ...[M]any Muslims in America remain wary, saying the pope has created the impression that he is insensitive to their faith. [...] Some Muslim leaders invited to meet...
- Pope's Baptism Of Muslim Is "triumphalist Tool"
No, Peter North is a "triumphalist tool". A Papal baptism the day before Easter is Catholicism being Catholic. From the BBC (with thanks to Bayan): A Muslim scholar involved in high-level dialogue with the Vatican has denounced the Pope's baptism...
- All Your Apologies Are Belong To Us
"Fadlallah, one of the world's top Shia Muslim clerics, said: "We demand that [the Pope] apologise personally" Pope Benedict XVI was last night facing angry demands from Muslims that he apologise for a speech in which he appeared to condemn the concept...
- The Pope Sends Mixed Messages About Islam
Pope Benedict seems to get it, and then he seems to lose his head in an orifice one doesn't usually associate with Holiness: VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI urged Islamic countries to ensure religious rights for Christian migrants Monday while also...