Islam Factor May Decide Pope Pick

On one of Pope John Paul II's last major trips four years ago, he stood in the ancient Omayyad Mosque in Syria and appealed for Christians and Muslims to seek common ground rather than confrontation.

"May the hearts of Christians and Muslims turn to one another with feelings of brotherhood and friendship," urged the pontiff, the first pope to enter a Muslim place of worship. The words - spoken just four months before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks - now stand a challenge for his successor. Just as the Cold War defined the beginning of John Paul's 26-year papacy, the rifts between the West and Islam will likely influence how the next pope measures his priorities.

Relations with Islam - and who is best equipped to handle the delicate questions - is emerging as one of the factors that will shape the decision of the cardinals when they gather this month to pick the 265th pontiff.

"We have to learn to live with Islam," said Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, speaking to reporters Tuesday in Rome. "We have to learn how to dialogue with Islam."

Chicago Cardinal Francis George added: "The history between Catholicism and Islam is not a happy one. We want to live at peace in a global society, so a dialogue with Islam is particularly important."

At least two cardinals could receive extra attention at the conclave in discussions about Islam.

Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria has been based at the Vatican for decades, but spent his youth amid the country's mix of Christian and Muslims. The Vatican is also alarmed about inter-religious clashes in Nigeria that have claimed thousands of lives since the late 1990s. But Arinze would require a history-shaping act by the generally conservative College of Cardinals: naming the first African pope in modern times.

Cardinal Godfried Danneels of Belgium also is seen as having a deft diplomatic touch, but his liberal-minded views could alarm some conservative cardinals.

The concerns about Islam are particularly pressing to the 11 American cardinals who will join the conclave. Unlike Europe and elsewhere, there are few high-profile Muslim leaders in the United States to conduct serious interfaith contacts. The Vatican - as both a diplomatic entity and religious power - becomes an important forum for outreach.

Christians have been targeted by Muslim guerrillas in the Philippines, Iraq and elsewhere in recent years. The Vatican also has a stake in maintaining the sensitive religious balance in Jerusalem, where Christians often must carefully tread between the bigger forces of Judaism and Islam.

"The Christians are often between the hammer and the anvil," said Daniel Rossing, who heads a Jerusalem-based group that promotes inter-religious dialogue.

During the late pope's historic trip to Syria, he silently listened as Syria's President Bashar Assad denounced Jews for trying to "kill the principles of all religions." The Vatican refused to comment on the diatribe, apparently concerned any reaction would upset years of carefully crafted relations with the Muslim world.

The difficulty for the new pope is to further cultivate rapport with Muslims in the highly charged post-Sept. 11 politics.

"The new pope will have a different task ahead," said Daniel Thompson, director of religious studies at Fordham University in New York. "Who do you talk to? Who represents the Muslim population? How do you properly engage Islam with the contemporary situation?"

John Paul II received considerable praise in the Muslim world for his calls to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The outpouring following his death Saturday reflected his standing - and the challenges for the next pontiff to even approach the achievements.

"Muslims and Christians alike have lost the pope," said Syria's prominent Islamic cleric, Sheik Salah Keftaro.

The pope's death "is a big loss for the Catholic Church and the Islamic world," said Sheik Sayed Tantawi, the head of Egypt's Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's most prestigious center of learning.

The list of dignitaries from the Islamic world for the pope's funeral on Friday is already impressive and continues to grow: Syria's Assad, President Mohammad Khatami of Iran and Religious Minister Alwi Shihab of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Amid the sea of pilgrims moving toward St. Peter's Basilica to view the pope's body, a small knot of Nigerian Muslims held a banner: the Islamic crescent and the Christian cross were intertwined.

My pick for "Glory of the Olives"
Don't know anything else about him.
But he's the only Arab (olive skin)Cardinal.
Could have a similar effect on a trip to Cairo or Damascus as JPII had on Poland.

Cardinal Daoud

Name: H.E. Ignace Moussa I Card. DAOUD
Position: Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
Age: 74 (Born Thursday, September 18, 1930)
From:Syria
Cardinal since: Wednesday, February 21, 2001

Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, Patriarch emeritus of Antioch for Syrians, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Oriental Institute was born on 18 September 1930 in Meskaneh, Syria. He was ordained on 17 October 1954 and holds a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome.

On 2 July 1977 he was elected by the Syrian Patriarchal Synod as Bishop of Cairo, Egypt, and ordained on 18 September. He was a member of the Commission for the Revision of the Eastern Code of Canon Law and chaired the commission that translated the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches into Arabic.

On 1 July 1994 he was promoted to Archbishop of Homs for Syrians, Syria.

On 13 October 1998 he was elected Patriarch of Antioch for Syrians and enthroned on 25 October. On 20 October 1998 he obtained the ecclesiatica communio.

On 25 November 2000 he was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

Patriarch emeritus of Antioch for Syrians, resigned 8 January 2001.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001.

Curial membership:
»Doctrine of the Faith, Causes of Saints (congregation)
»Christian Unity, Legislative Texts (council)
»Special Council for Lebanon of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops

Translated from French from another site:

Cardinal Ignace Foamed II Daoud, the highly skilled patriarch of Antioche for Syrians, the prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches and he is the large Chancellor of the Eastern Pontifical Institute.

He was born on September 18, 1930 in Maskané, village close to Homs in Syria. He has two brothers and three sisters, all grooms. His mother Kahla Elias Dabbas is still living, while his/her father Daoud Moussa Daoud is deceased a few years ago.

He made his primary studies at the parochial school directed by the P. Hanna Makdissi.

In December of the year 1941, he entered to the Seminar St Ephrem-St Benoit to Jerusalem held by the Fathers French Benedictines, where he followed the complementary and secondary studies.

In the year 1948, following the war in Palestine between Jews and Arabs, the seminar was transferred to the Convent from Charfeh, Lebanon. He is there that he finished the last year of his secondary studies. Then he made his studies of philosophy and theology, with the same aforesaid seminar, of the year 1949 until the year 1955.

He was ordained priest on October 17, 1954, by the laying on of hands of fire Cardinal-Patriarch Ignace Gabriel I Tappouni, in theSaint-Georges Cathedral of Syriaques Catholiques, in Beirut, with seven of his fellow-members. Among the eights ordered, five became bishops.

Returned with his diocese of origin in 1955, he performed in Homs the following duties:
- Professor de Catéchisme at the school St Joseph
- Vicar of the Priest of Homs
- Then principal St Joseph and Curé of Homs
- Secretary of the Archbishop's palace and then general episcopal Vicar.

In 1962 he was sent in Rome to study the Canon law at the University of Lateran. he obtained the Licence in 1964.

In 1970 S.B. the Patriarch Mar Ignace Antoine II Hayek appointed him secretary with the Patriarchate. He remained in this load seven consecutive years.

With the Patriarchal Synod of 1977 he was elected Evêque of the diocese of Cairo. his sacring took place in church N.D. of the Delivery with Charfeh, Lebanon. His establishment was made in Cairo in the church Ste. Catherine, October 7, 1977.

It served the diocese of Cairo during seventeen years, and carried out following works:
- Construction of the church Cathedral dedicated to N.D. Rosary, in Cairo.
- Construction of a Parochial center with Héliopolis.
- Construction of a new wing of the school St Michel, in Cairo.
- Construction of the polyclinic "Sittina Mariam".
- He gave spiritual conferences and retirements. He taught the Canon law with Seminar "Al Maadi" of Coptes Catholiques, and at the institute of Philosophy and Theology of Sakakini (Cairo)
To the Patriarchal Synod of 1994, he was transferred from the diocese of Cairo to the diocese of Homs, Syria. Establishment was made in church N.D. of the Delivery with Zeidal - Homs, September 18, 1994.
He was named Consultateur in the Commission of revision of the Canon law and this during fifteen years, with the continuation of which he became member of the same commission on five years.
He chaired the Commission of the translation of Arabic Latin of the Canon law of the Eastern Churches, in Cairo.

A few years ago, he was named member of the congregation for the Doctrines of the Faith, in Rome.
In 1995 he was named member of the permanent Synod and member of the Higher Court of the legal businesses, in the Church Syriaque Catholique.

In 1997 he was named by the assembly of the Patriarchs and the Catholic Bishops in Syria, president of the common Commission of Benevolence (Syria).

With the Patriarchal Synod of 1998, he was elected Patriarche of the Church Syriaque Catholique, October 13. His establishment will take place 25 Octobre 1998 in Cathedral N.D. of the Annunciation, Beirut, Place of the Museum.

November 25, 2000, he was appointed Préfet of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches.

The highly skilled patriarch of Antioche for Syriaques, given on January 8, 2001. He was proclaimed Cardinal in the consistory by Jean Paul II on February 21, 2001.

Member of the council curial:
- Doctrines of the Faith, causes of the Saints (the congregation)
- the Christian Unit, legislative texts (the council)
- Special Council for Lebanon of the Secretariat-general of the Synod of the Bishops.

>> Christians have been targeted by Muslim guerrillas in the Philippines, Iraq and elsewhere in recent years. <<

The poor souls who've mistakenly chosen to follow the death cult known as islam have been targeting EVERYONE who even slightly disagrees or questions their misguided beliefs for a very long time. Being human and not having the patience of Jesus, I’m getting tired of it.

I'm weary of listening to the angry muslim tripe, these idiots are ALWAYS angry. Seems like a lousy way to go though life.

Truth stands up to questioning and even encourages it. The mere FACT that muslims are angered by dissent and questioning reveals what a SHALLOW and FALSE belief system it actually is. Mohammad took the truth and PERVERTED it under the direct supervision of Satan.

Example:
Mohammad KILLED anyone who even questioned him and his beliefs.

Jesus asked His Father to FORGIVE those who tortured and Crucified Him.

Who shows mercy and love beyond comprehension?

IF CHRSITANS LET THESE MURDERS DECIDE THEIR NEXT LEADER THEY GET WHAT THEY DESERVE. I for one will NEVER bow down before any false gods. I will have to be killed first. Self defense is permitted by Scripture and I will take as many as I can with me in the process.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.