Pope Benedict XVI to hold religious peace summit (amid increased attacks on christians)

BBC ^ | January 1, 2011

[NYer]

Pope Benedict XVI has said he will organise a summit in Assisi with religious heads to discuss how they can promote world peace.

In a New Year message, the Pope also condemned inter-religious violence, including attacks against Christians in the Middle East.

The summit in the Italian city will be held in October, 25 years after Pope John Paul organised a similar event.

His announcement came hours after a bomb went off at a church in Egypt.

At least 17 people died in the blast at the Coptic Christian Church in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria, sparking a clash between Christians and Muslims.'Discrimination'

Speaking in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Pope Benedict said the aim of the summit would be to "to solemnly renew the effort of those with faith of all religions to live their faith as a service for the cause of peace".

"Facing the threatening tensions of the moment, especially discrimination, injustices and religious intolerance, which today strike Christians in a particular way, once again, I make a pressing appeal not to give in to discouragement and resignation," he said.

He said the summit would also "honour the memory of the historical event promoted by my predecessor".

Pope John Paul hosted a similar event in 1986, which was attended by leading Jews and Muslims, as well as the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Pope Benedict has repeatedly denounced attacks on Christians in Iraq, including an assault on a Baghdad cathedral in October which killed at least 50 people. The Vatican fears that the violence is driving many Christians out of the region.

[NYer]

Pope Benedict XVI holds the pastoral staff as he celebrates a mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011. Pope Benedict XVI urged Christians to remain strong in the face of intolerance and violence in a New Year's appeal Saturday that came hours after a bomb blast outside an Egyptian church killed 21 people as worshippers left Mass. The pope condemned a widening campaign against Christians in the Middle East in his homily at St. Peter's Basilica, echoing comments last month in which he called a lack of religious freedom a threat to world security.

[Kolokotronis]

More on the bombing:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_egypt_church_attack;_ylt=A0wNdOeBRh9NT_oAgQCROrgF;_ylu=X3oDMTJqZWszNnJiBGFzc2V0Ay9zL2FwL21sX2VneXB0X2NodXJjaF9hdHRhY2sEY3BvcwMxBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDYm9tYmhpdHNlZ3lw

[NYer]

Happy New Year, K. Please accept my sincerest wishes in advance for a Blessed Christmas to you and your family.

[Kolokotronis]

And to you and yours, dear lady!

I followed up on your article as we will be having a Coptic family (along with the priest and his family, Greeks, Lebanese, Russians and two Yankee Orthodox couples) here for a New Year’s Day party and I am sure it will be the topic of conversation.

What a tragedy for all Christians. May their memories be eternal! Let’s hope that the Pope’s meeting will be something other than a kumbaya session. My bet is that he will call a spade a spade and there is the remote possibility that if he does say something forceful and in public, the West might respond and remind the Saudis and the Paki leadership just how precarious their existence really is.

[ELS]

I was surprised that Benedict XVI would even refer to the Assisi event of 1986. At the time he refused to participate in it. My guess is that it will be very different from John Paul II's gathering.

My bet is that he will call a spade a spade and there is the remote possibility that if he does say something forceful and in public, the West might respond and remind the Saudis and the Paki leadership just how precarious their existence really is.

Hope springs eternal, but more likely the LSM will pull their usual stunt and take a small part of what he will say (as you know, he doesn't speak in sound bites) out of context and twist its meaning to stir the pot. It would be nice if they could refrain from doing that. I'm not going to hold my breath.