[Mrs. Don-o]

Lurker, here are the Points:

• It is easy for Keyboard Kommandos to punch the air and high-five each other for the F-You Talk Offensive when others will have to pay the price
• Pope Benedict HAS spoken out and has paid in terms of nuns and priests murdered, churches bombed, and absolutely credible threats of the execution of himself and those around him.
• And he has backed down neither in principle nor in practice.

If you would google the words

Pope Islam reciprocity

you would see about 50,000 headlines such as these:

Catholic-Islam Dialogue: Reciprocity the Key

Pope's New Approach to Christian-Muslim Relations

The Vatican Confronts Islam : Daniel Pipes

Pope: No Retreat From 'Reciprocity' Challenge to Islam

Address to the Ambassadors of Countries with a Muslim majority

Pope: "Respect and dialogue require reciprocity in all spheres"

Benedict was warned by the jihadis not to go to Turkey; he went.

He was threatened with assassination if he flew to Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories: he flew without hesitation, spoke out clearly, and prayed with Christians and Jews.

Benedict was warned by organized jihadists that they would behead him if he baptized Magdi Allam: he baptized him at the Easter Vigil, the most solemn and public rite celebrated at St. Peter's in Rome, guaranteeing maximum coverage around the world.

He was warned not to challenge Muslim ambassadors about freedom of religion for Christians in their respective countries: he has done so every single time, courteously, firmly, and without equivocation.

And everything he does, he has good reason to assume, could be paid for in blood (Link).

If anyone has a right to be taken seriously, it is Pope Benedict.

That's my point.

[ansel12]

If anyone has a right to be taken seriously, it is Pope Benedict.

[ohioWfan]

Thank you for an excellent, thoughtful, fact-based post, Mrs. Don-o.

As a Protestant, I completely agree with you.

"If anyone has a right to be taken seriously, it is Pope Benedict."