Pope Francis' run-in with Benedict XVI over the Prophet Mohammed

http://www.telegraph.co.uk ^ | March 15, 2013 | Alasdair Baverstock

[NKP_Vet]

In 2005, then Pope Benedict quoted from an obscure medieval text which declared that the Prophet Mohammed, founder of the Islamic faith, was "evil and inhuman", enraging the Muslim population and causing attacks on churches throughout the world before an apology was issued.

Reacting within days to the statements, speaking through a spokesman to Newsweek Argentina, then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio declared his "unhappiness" with the statements, made at the University of Regensburg in Germany, and encouraged many of his subordinates with the Church to do the same.

"Pope Benedict's statement don't reflect my own opinions", the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires declared. "These statements will serve to destroy in 20 seconds the careful construction of a relationship with Islam that Pope John Paul II built over the last twenty years".

The Vatican reacted quickly, removing one subordinate, Joaquín Piña the Archbishop of Puerto Iguazú from his post within four days of his making similar statements to the Argentine national media, sending a clear statement to Cardinal Bergoglio that he would be next should he choose to persist.

Reacting to the threats from Rome, Cardinal Bergoglio cancelled his plans to fly to Rome, choosing to boycott the second synod that Pope Benedict had called during his tenure as pontiff.

"The only thing that didn't happen to Bergoglio was being removed from his post", wrote investigative journalist Horacio Verbitsky in his column in left-wing daily newspaper Página/24. "The Vatican was very quick to react."

Cristina Kirchner, the Argentina president, stated at the time that such diatribes were "dangerous for everyone".

[NKP_Vet]

"Pope Francis came close to losing his position within the Catholic Church after he criticised his predecessor seven years ago". What Benedict said was of course 100% right, but liberals of all persuasions denounced his words. How great it would have been if B16 had fired the Jesuit leftist and gave him some rinky dink ceremonial position, which is precisely the treatment Francis handed out to Cardinal Burke, for daring to actually act like a Catholic. But of course B16 has more honor and integrity than to treat a fellow bishop like a no-body.

[Slyfox]

This is the history behind Benedict's remarks at Regensburg:

About the time the West discovered Aristotle's Ethics and Politics in the twelfth century, Islam had reached it's peak. The top imams at the time decided that Islam would no longer use the elements of philosophy which had been their strong suit for 500 years. So in began their decline when they rejected all that they had been able to glean from the Greek philosophers.

The West then took all that the Greek civilization had and entered into the Renaissance with rather amazing results. The West left the muslims in the dust.

So, when Pope Benedict spoke at Regensburg and got lambasted by the muslims, he was only trying to invite them back to the dialogue they dismissed in the 12th century.

[Arthur McGowan]

Sad. Ratzinger was, and is, a truth-teller. Bergoglio is not.

[jobim]

Great recap - thank you!

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

Not a hard call, anyone who denies Jesus is the Christ is evil and inhuman and will die in their sins. Mohammed fits the bill...........the Church used to declare so openly and proudly. Now? Not so much.

[Salvation]

Gos bless Pope Benedict XVI.

[Ann Archy]

Amen to that....the Church is in a very precarious situation under Francis. The Gates of Hell will NOT Prevail......The Gates of Hell will NOT Prevail....the Gates if Hell will NOT Prevail....

[Ann Archy]

I miss him terribly.

[piusv]

And then he prayed in a mosque in 2006:

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0606816.htm

[infool7]

I don’t think that means we won’t have to fight to our last breath.

[CTrent1564]

slyfox:

It is more accurate to say re-discovered them, much of the great Greek Philosophical writings were lost to Western Christendom for a while given the Muslim advances in much of the old part of the Eastern Roman empire. As the West gradually won some territory back, it was able to re-discover these Greek writings and update translations and bring them back to the West.

[CTrent1564]

but we really don’t know what he prayed, perhaps he prayed the Te Deum in Latin.

[Slyfox]

Rediscovery is basically true, but for Bishop Raymond of Toledo Aristotle's Ethics and Politics had never been seen. It is difficult to gauge what it all would have been like had those two works been generally known to the West at the same time that the muslims had them.

It seems to me that God allowed for them to be hidden until they could go through the mind of Aquinas.

Aquinas's main job at the University of Paris was to set up the groups who would correct the misinterpretations by the first translators. And that is why his knowledge, especially of Aristotle's Ethics was so precise.

[piusv]

Let’s look at what we do know:

He entered a mosque. Before entering, he removed his shoes as a Muslim would do. He received instruction on Muslim prayer. He turned toward Mecca to pray as Muslims do. He did not make the sign of the Cross or any external sign to show that he was making a Catholic prayer to help minimize the scandal created by his actions. Rather, he imitated the Muslims.

[CTrent1564]

piusv:

Well, I think God is big enough to understand what the Pope Did. His mere presence there was a reminder that Hagia Sophia was built by Eastern Christendom, not Muslims. And turning towards Mecca was not what the Pope was doing, if you read his writings, I am sure he was praying ad orientalem, which is an old Liturgical tradition of the Church. Something I would think you would know.

Taking off shoes while it is practice among Muslims is actually something that predates Islam, it is a common cultural thing to do in the Middle East and Asia Minor, again, from the Pope’s perspective, I don’t think he was agreeing with the Islamist.

[piusv]

Well we’re going to have to agree to disagree. Pre-Vatican II a lay person, let alone a pope (!), wouldn’t even consider praying in a mosque. What a scandalous act, one of many caused by post Vatican II popes.

[piusv]

In 2005, then Pope Benedict quoted from an obscure medieval text which declared that the Prophet Mohammed, founder of the Islamic faith, was “evil and inhuman”, enraging the Muslim population and causing attacks on churches throughout the world before an apology was issued:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5353774.stm

So much for Benedict XVI’s speaking the truth.

[CTrent1564]

piusv:

There were a lot of pre-Vatican 2 Catholics who would not even talk with Protestants? Is that really something you are also proud of. I have been to a Jewish Synagogue once, as part of a Religion course, It did make me Jewish any more than the Pope visiting the mosque a muslim.

I think all Heads of State as part of diplomatic norms visit the Hagia Sophia. The Pope in addition to being the Bishop of Rome is also legally a Head of State, i.e. head of the Vatican City State. Thus you do agree that when Pope’s visit countries, they also make appearances that are diplomatic. Pope Benedict prayed in silence at the 911 site, for example

[CTrent1564]

piusv:

Well if you read it carefully, the wise Benedict stated I apologize if it hurt anyone’s feelings, he never retracted the quote, and by getting it out there, it did in fact prove to be prophetic.

[piusv]

Actually if you read it carefully you would have seen that Benedict did in fact retract what he said:

These in fact were a quotation from a medieval text, which do not in any way express my personal thought.

He couldn't retract the actual "medieval quote" because he didn't make it, but he could make it clear that that old quote didn't really express his personal beliefs.

Once again, a Vatican II pope shows his modernist tendencies in beliefs about false religions. And then he went on to pray in a mosque following Muslim traditions to show just how sorry he was. Like I said, you and I will never agree on this. At least I know my mind won't change.