Posted on 11/03/2008 1:57:22 PM PST by NYer
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Muslim scholars due to meet Pope Benedict and Roman Catholic officials this week hope the Vatican will agree to joint crisis management plan to defuse tensions that flare up between Christianity and Islam.
Violent protests in the Islamic world after a Danish newspaper printed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad might have been averted if Christians and Muslims had spoken out jointly against such unrest and the provocation behind it, they say.
This proposal is one of several ideas for better interfaith cooperation that the Common Word group, a broad coalition of Muslim leaders and scholars pursuing dialogue between the world's two largest religions, will present at the November- 4-6 talks.
"We should develop a crisis reaction mechanism so if there is another cartoon crisis, we could get together and make a joint statement," said Ibrahim Kalin, an Islam scholar from Turkey who is spokesman for the group.
They would also speak out against religious persecution such as the oppression of Iraq's Christian minority, said delegation member Sohail Nakhooda, editor of the Amman-based magazine Islamica. "We have to look out for each other," he said.
The Common Word manifesto, which invited Christian churches to a new interfaith dialogue based on shared principles of love of God and neighbor, was issued in October 2007 partly in response to Pope Benedict's Regensburg speech a year earlier.
Bloody protests broke out in Muslim countries after Benedict hinted there that he considered Islam a violent and irrational faith. The Common Word group said the incident revealed such mutual ignorance that a new cooperation drive was needed.
In meetings this year with mostly Protestant leaders, Common Word delegates have proposed regular dialogue sessions, student exchanges, suggested reading lists and other ideas to help Christians and Muslims learn more about each other.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Should be interesting ping ....
Muslims slaughtering Christians and burning churches is a crisis. Imaginary insults to Mohammad is not.
I always get a kick out of that one.
Muslim position is convert or die ... not much wiggle room for negotiation.
I hope Pope Benedict proves to be a friend to the Eastern Orthodox because this is the part of Christianity that has suffered from Islam the most.
I have much respect for a man who recognizes that this Eastern Church problem is also a Western Church problem as well.
What are the muslims worried about...did the pope call for a crusade?
Here we go again. Pow-wow between Muslims and Christians — Muslims doing all the talking, Christians doing all the apologizing.
I told my art professor they should start replacing all the priceless artifacts in the Vatican, the Louvre, and all other museums and historical sights with copies because of the Muslim law against creating images, the decline in the general population due to abortion, and the increase in the pro-life Muslim population.
The pope continues to show his friendship to the Eastern Orthodox Churches. He traveled to Turkey and joined the Patriarch for the Divine Liturgy. Last week, he invited Patriarch Bartholomew I to address the Synod on the Bible - an historical first.
The Holy Father is well aware of the persecution of christians taking place in Muslim lands. Who will ever forget the horrific murder of Chaldean Catholic priest, Fr. Ragheed Ghanni and his 3 deacons less than 2 years ago or that of Sr. Cecelia Moshi Hanna 6 years ago. Earlier this year, Chaldean Bishop Paulos Faraj Rahho died while being held by kidnappers. And this killing has now extended into the Eastern Catholic Churches in India, where radical Hindus have slaughtered the innocent, raped nuns and executed priests.
If anyone is aware of this senseless persecution, it is Pope Benedict XVI. He is one of the greatest theologians of our time. There is no pulling the wool over his eyes; he is steadfast in his commitment to finding a solution. But - you and I and everone else must have faith and be extremely patient. He is a man of dialogue and welcomes this opportunity to initiate it. Nothing fruitful is ever accomplished overnight. Let's watch and observe and pray for him.
Ahhh .. I see you are a person of little faith. Watch and learn.
Q: The Christians of the Middle East suffer, especially in Lebanon, Iraq and the Holy Land. Can we speak of a persecuted Church or of the persecuted part of the Church in general? What is your message for the Church of the West and what role it can play in this situation?
Cardinal Sfeir: The Church is the same everywhere, both in the East and in the West. The fact that Christians in the East face difficulties is nothing new. As I already mentioned, the Christians have passed nothing less than 500 years under the Turks, without being able to freely profess their faith, and still today this reality subsists. Emigration is spoken of. The faithful emigrate, without knowing if this situation will change or remain indefinitely. There is a proverb that says: "God doesn't change people as long as the heart remains the same."
We feel great sadness for the Christians in Lebanon, divided among themselves. They should unite their factions and take up a united position. Even today, among them, there are those who maintain that it is a useful situation, but divisions have never served for anything.
Q: How do you foresee that the synod of bishops will influence Christians and their situation in the Near East?
Cardinal Sfeir: The synod has a good impact on Christians. The whole synod is trying to regroup the various Christian realities and guide them toward the profession of the faith. The faith is something that invites us to the fear of Our Lord, and he who fears Our Lord acts according to his commandments, and puts effort into consolidating the relationship with him and with one's neighbors. There is not faith without love for neighbor. If there was not love for neighbor, faith would not be sincere.
Full Text
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."Vatican, Muslims prepare historic meeting with Pope
“In event of a crisis situation, the Christian is to get on his/her knees and place their hands behind their back.”
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