Pope Unity - Ecumenical Talks

Muslims to give pope what he wants
Pope Benedict XVI got off on the wrong foot last year when he delivered an address about the role reason might play in driving interfaith dialogue. Garnering the most attention were his inflammatory opening lines, which quoted a 14th Century Byzantine emperor’s criticism of the Prophet Muhammad. The pope contended that listeners misunderstood his intent: to encourage interfaith dialogue. But more than 100 Muslim leaders from around the world have shown they did not miss the pope’s point after all.

At the National Press Club on Thursday, 138 Muslim clerics, theologians and academics are expected to unveil a letter delivered this week to the pontiff and 25 other Christian leaders highlighting what theological notions the two faiths have in common and how they can work together. (The letter will be posted as soon as it is released to the media.)

Experts tout the document as a historic display of unity among Muslims who lack the centralized authorities and institutions that make organized dialogue easier.

The unprecedented initiative falls on the anniversary of an open letter to the pontiff issued by more than three dozen Muslim clerics in response to his remarks in September 2006 at Regensburg University. The pope had quoted the Byzantine emperor as saying, "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

Scott Alexander, director of Catholic-Muslim Studies at the Catholic Theological Union, said Thursday’s letter builds on the momentum of the original communique, which aimed to clarify for the pope several of his points. Both letters grew out of a summit held one month after the pope’s remarks.

"The significance of this initiative is that there is no one institution in the Muslim world that speaks for all or most Muslims the way there is in Roman Catholic Christianity," Alexander said. "What is extraordinary and exciting is that the Muslim community is thinking of creative ways to organize itself so it can effectively participate in dialogue on a global scale."

In 2009, the Catholic Theological Union will host another initiative that grew out of the summit. The conference will focus on how a Christian majority can support Muslims as minorities in the West and how a Muslim majority can do likewise for the Christian minority in the Muslim world.

Alexander said he does not understand why the pope opened his speech with the quotes, which generated much "anxiety and disappointment" in the Muslim world. But, he said, the early stages of interfaith dialogue often spark misunderstanding. He said the announcement anticipated on Thursday demonstrates a positive outcome and shows that goodwill can triumph after all.








» 10/10/2007 14:16
VATICAN
Pope urges prayer for full unity between Catholics and Orthodox
During his general audience Benedict XVI recalls the meeting of the Mixed Commission for theological dialogue between the two Churches currently underway in Ravenna, which, it had been previously speculated, the Pope and Ecumenical Patriarch were to have attended.


Vatican City (AsiaNews) – A fresh appeal for Christian unity, in particular between Catholics and Orthodox was made by Benedict XVI today, who at the end of his general audience asked the faithful to pray for the successful outcome of the meeting of the International Mixed Commission for theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church currently underway in Ravenna.

At the end of his weekly encounter with over 20 thousand faithful gathered in St Peter’s square – among them also a group of Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka – Benedict XVI recalled that the tenth plenary assembly of the mixed commission is taking place this week in Ravenna, Italy. It is “discussing a theme of particular ecumenical importance: ‘the ecclesiological and canonical consequences of sacramental nature of the Church – ecclesial communion, conciliation and authority’. I ask you to join me in prayer – concluded the pope – so that this important encounter help the journey towards full communion between Catholics and Orthodox, and that they may soon share in the one and same Chalice of the Lord”.

The mixed commission meeting began Monday and continues through to Sunday. It is made up of 60 members, 30 Catholics and 30 Orthodox, and is jointly presided by Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and His Excellency Ioannis (Zizioulas), metropolitan of Pergamo. During Benedict XVI’s trip to Turkey last November the idea that pope and patriarch Bartholomew I attend the session had been launched, as a sign of the strong desire between the two Churches to proceed towards unity. However, rumour has it that some Orthodox leaders strongly opposed the idea, first and foremost the Patriarch of Moscow, who maintains that there is no existing hierarchical structure within the Orthodox Church equivalent to the Catholic Church – with one single leader – and that the primacy of the ecumenical patriarch – unlike the pope – is “an honorary” one.

The commission which is due to publish a document at the end of its working session was established in 1979 by Pope John Paul II and Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I, and held its first assembly in Patmos-Rhodes in 1980. These meetings have confronted various questions, but were suspended for a number of years, because of the deep seated disaccord of the Oriental rite Catholic Churches, the so-called uniates.

Today, before his ecumenical appeal, Benedict XVI continued his reflections on the figures of the “Early Church Fathers”, speaking of St Hilary of Poitiers. The “great” 4th century bishop was remembered above all for his “defence of our faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ, Son of God and God as the Father”. He fought against the Arians, who believed Jesus was a created being, to confirm instead Christ’s divinity. In the words of the pope he “Hilary’s insight was the importance of our Trinitarian baptismal faith: I baptise you in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit”.

Benedict XVI’s final observation was that for Hilary, “humanity finds salvation in Christ alone”. By becoming human, Christ in fact took upon himself the nature of every man. “This is why the journey towards Christ is open to every individual” even if personal conversion is always required.