Posted on 12/01/2006 7:10:53 AM PST by jan in Colorado
You should be dubious.
(1) In the Orthodox Christian East, the tradition in prayer is to face toward Jerusalem, where Christ died and rose from the dead.
(2) The Pope was there as a guest of the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Christians.
(3) Mecca and Jerusalem are in almost the exact same direction from Constantinople if you look at a map.
(4) If the Pope is visiting a mosque, he is not going to turn his back on his hosts and face in a different direction to make a point.
Our God is omnipotent and can hear our prayers no matter where we are, no matter what time of day, and no matter what direction we face!
When I visited Istanbul years ago, we toured the Blue Mosque and St. Sofia's. Fascinating places. And yes, we women were required to cover our shoulders and we all had to take off our shoes. Some objected, but in my view, we were guests and as such, we should do our best not to offend our hosts -- emulating their traditions, if they don't cause any harm to us personally, seemed to be the right thing to do.
Of course, I'm reasonably sure that the Pope's gestures were exercises in politics and plain old schmoozing. But there was no harm in what he did and maybe he scored a few points. Only the radical fundamentalists would find fault.
LOL!
I'm sure all of us, at one point in the day will "face Mecca" does that make us all devout Muslims?? Jeez, they are REALLY trying to make hay out of this one, aren't they ?
We are, and it's Islam.
Love your tag, by the way. Let's hope for no near fatal accidents or emergency surgeries next year!
This was the reason for his visit to Turkey; planned long before his truthful quote about Mohamed!
In my present church I face south, the one before that south, the one before that south, the cathedral downtown east, the chapel at my kids' high school west, the basilica at Notre Dame north.
I need to change my tag as they aren't doing very well this year.
I'm a convert as husband is from Pitt.
"(4) If the Pope is visiting a mosque, he is not going to turn his back on his hosts and face in a different direction to make a point."
Yeah, he'd probably end up with a knife in his back.
It's brilliant PR. He's in Turkey to challenge the state's inequal treatment of religions, but to do so in a genuine and non-threatening way. It takes a big man to make such a gesture. The message being, "If the Catholic pope can be respectful of Islam, why can't we be respectful of Catholics?"
(1) The "facing East" rule in Catholic church construction is considered preferable but not mandatory.
(2) Since the Second Vatican Council, new churches are built without any attention to this old principle.
(3) Even older churches have been renovated, with sanctuaries and altars removed or repositioned since the Second Vatican Council.
(4) Certain ethnic Catholic communties were more mindful of building churches in this orientation (Poles, Czechs) than others were (Irish, Germans).
All Catholic Churches are supposed to face east. Running through my mind, I haven't been in one yet that doesn't.
This pope is no dummy. He is, in fact, quite the opposite.
Benedict did press during the trip for more freedom of religion in Turkey..."
This was the reason for his visit to Turkey; planned long before his truthful quote about Mohamed!
***
And if nothing else was accomplished, at least Pope Benedict made some effort toward reconciling with the Orthodox. Someone remarked, during film of the two prelates standing together, that this was the closest the two faiths have been in a thousand years. That's saying something.
Exactly!
(See my post #28)
Excellent points. The headline and thrust of the article by al-Reuters is what makes the story so annoying.
God Bless Pope Benedict.
or not.
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