The Vatican on Muslims and Jews
The pope has offended some followers of other faiths but may be mending fences
Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to the United States has offered him a chance not only to celebrate his birthday on the White House lawn but to publicly mend a few fences, as well. On several occasions the pope has admitted to being "deeply ashamed" by the clergy sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the church here, forceful public statements that observers called an important step for the pope.
But after visiting President Bush and a group of American bishops yesterday, Joseph Ratzinger, the German cardinal elected to the papacy three years ago, may have some other, equally important, fences to mend. This evening, the pope was to meet with representatives from several other religions, including Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu leaders, at a Washington, D.C., cultural center. And once again, experts say, the pope will probably have some explaining to do.
Benedict, after all, since taking over from his predecessor, John Paul II, has stumbled spectacularly several times over his own pointed, occasionally inflammatory, references to other faiths. In 2006, while giving a speech at the University of Regensburg in Germany, Benedict offended many Muslims when he quoted a 14th-century Byzantine emperor's harsh description of the prophet Muhammad: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new," Benedict quoted the emperor saying, "and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." The pope's comments were met with outrage in parts of the world: Pakistan's parliament voted to condemn him, and Lebanon's top Shiite cleric demanded an apology. After saying he was "deeply sorry," the pontiff seemed to stumble again less than a week later, this time over the church's relationship with Judaism, when he quoted St. Paul in another speech describing the crucifixion as a "scandal for the Jews."
His comments might have been dismissed as momentary gaffs, experts say, if they hadn't been accompanied by more subtle shifts in the language emerging from the Vatican. Last year, Benedict permitted the use of an old Good Friday liturgy, shelved since the early 1960s, that had anti-Semitic overtones, calling for the conversion of the Jews, in their "blindness" and "darkness," to Christianity. Benedict has raised eyebrows among some Christian leaders, as well, with his renewed emphasis on the centrality of the Eucharist and the apostolic succession. To be fair, Benedict has also tried to ease some of the religious tension he has created: He agreed to remove the questionable references from the Good Friday prayer this year, and, after his comments at Regensburg, he made a point of reaching out to Muslims by praying with the imam of the Blue Mosque in Turkey and organizing a series of dialogues with leading Muslim scholars.
Still, experts say, there seems to be little doubt that this pope, in both style and substance, has proved to be a decisive departure from his sunny, hands-across-the-Vatican predecessor. "Since Benedict's pontificate, some of the rhetoric [coming out of the Vatican] has seemed to be sharper, and that has caused some concern and dissatisfaction on the part of other churches and faiths," says the Rev. Thomas Rausch, a Jesuit priest and professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University. Benedict may have chosen his words poorly in Regensburg, and his formal, stilted locution may be part of the reason he has occasionally been misunderstood. But experts inside and outside the church still believe Benedict's comments reflect a shift in the Vatican's relationship with other faiths—and offer a glimpse into the new direction Benedict intends to take the church.
Benedict is the head of a church that has been grappling for decades with how it should treat other religions. After the reforms of the 1960s, the Vatican moved, at least rhetorically, into a much more liberal era, recognizing publicly that all religions represented some form of fundamental truth, seeming to leave some of its more conservative theology behind. John Paul II, for one, carried this rhetoric into his papacy, meeting not just with Jewish and Muslim leaders but with members of the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well, while writing and speaking about the activity of the "spirit" beyond the confines of the church itself and implying that other religions, too, might offer a path to some form of salvation.
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Reader Comments
Hippocracy
As long as orgs such as the ADL and their offspring feel the need to disparage christianity at every turn and whine like children when their own religion comes under *ANY* sort of criticism. Jews especially want to be treated as somehow special people yet are the most vindictive group of people on the planet. Muslims, in my opinion, were always tolerant of everyone until we began butting into their lives and their countries. The jew is the one causing world problems, it may sound anti-semitic but if you open your eyes and see without blinders, it pretty obvious who is the antagonist.
Vatican on Muslims and Jews
Morton:
1) Jesus, Peter, and Paul were genetically Jewish but the first Christians - converted from religion of Judaism. I miss your basis for saying they were never Christians. The term Christian means "little Christs" - surely Christ was Christ and Peter and Paul both acknowleged Jesus' teachings as authoritative to amend and even supersede the Mosiac law. For example, Christ's teaching's on lust and adultery.
2) "Paul was subject to epilectic fits": Please point out a book of antiquity that initimates this. I have never heard anyone make this claim.
3) Paul's teachings were a "Hellenic amalgam of idolatry and vindictivness": What about Paul's writings were representative of Greek idolatry?
4) "as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached" - in the spirit of validating truth or lies - can you validate for me if indeed this is teaching of Muhamad. I have heard from various sources that it is in fact a teaching of Muhammed.
Thanks for thoughts.
No World Peace Without A Third Jewish Temple
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Mt 23:5.
Mt 23:5 “Everything they do is done for men to see: r They make their phylacteries 100 s wide and the tassels on their garments t long;
Mt 23:6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; u
Mt 23:7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’ v
Mt 23:8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.
Mt 23:9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, w and he is in heaven.
Mt 23:10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 101
Mt 23:11 The greatest among you will be your servant. x
Mt 23:12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. y
Get your pagan sun god wafer out and take communion!
THE POPE CALLS HIMSELF NOT JUST ‘FATHER’, but ‘HOLY FATHER.’ This is a clear violation of Scriptures. Yes, the Jewish priests call themselves, ‘Rabbi,’ the Catholic Pope & Priests call themselves, ‘Father,’ and secular authorities call their scholastic leaders, ‘Teacher,’ however, my only FATHER is the God of Israel, who alone is Messiah.
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Isa 43:11.
Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD, m and apart from me there is no savior. n
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Isa 44:6.
I am the first and I am the last; i apart from me there is no God. j
So why would Catholics pray to MARY or THE SAINTS?
To pray to anyone other than the god of Israel breaks the first two commandments. You can’t set any god beside the God of Israel or replace his throne with another name like Allah.
Christians believe in the God of Israel as EXCLUSIVE FATHER, but what Christians believe, that Jewish Believers don’t believe, is that the God of Israel became a human being for 33 years and that the great secret of Jesus Christ is that the God of Israel, as our exclusive Messiah, died on the cross in the name of Yeshua/Jesus. In other words, the God of Abraham, Issac,, Jacob, David, and Solomon joined us in our human race through the Name of Jesus. Jesus is not on a second seat next to God as this would violate the Ten Commandments. Jesus was and is the God of Israel and the God of Israel IS THE EXCLUSIVE MESSIAH AND HOLY SPIRIT.
Nobody can sit on the Throne of the God of Israel and be called: FATHER!
Yet, the Pope sits on a fancy throne and is worshiped as ‘Father.’
Catholicism is one of the greatest cults next to Islam in the world today.
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Isa 45:21.
And there is no God apart from me, t a righteous God u and a Savior; v there is none but me.
And have you ever noticed that Catholics talk about ‘Christ’ but never say the Name of Jesus or pray: GOD OF ISRAEL IN JESUS’ NAME?
They never ever say: GOD OF ISRAEL!
As it is clear we are not to call anyone on earth ‘Father,’ Catholics violate this Scripture. And why sing songs in Latin or speak in Latin. A few good words in English would be better, like Bill O’Reilly at Fox News who is the only Roman Catholic I have ever seen on any news station that makes any sense.
I separate Bill O’Reilly the man, from the Roman Catholic Church and would not insult Bill O’Reilly by offending him with what I know to be true and honest – which is that Catholicism, like Islam, is a lie.
So we need to tell all Catholics to put away their pagan sun god wafer, which is communion with Satan, and join Israel’s cause in building the Third Temple on the Temple Mount.
The Pope needs to repent, take off his royal vestments, and remove all Catholic Churches from the Land of Israel as a sign of LOVE and PEACE. LOVE and PEACE can only come from TOLERANCE and Catholics must TOLERATE the belief that on the Land of Israel, Catholicism, like Islam cannot be tolerated. If the Pope wants to promote peace between Palestinians and Israel, then he needs to help Israel by removing Palestine off Israeli soil too!
Yeah, the Catholic Church has a lot of MONEY. Yes, Catholic leaders blessed Hitler when he was in power; Catholic leaders blessed the Italian mafia mobsters; Catholic leaders blessed homosexual priests who molested little children; Catholic leaders all throughout medieval times oppressed the Jewish people and never helped the Jews settle back in the Land of Israel; and today, the Catholic Church is blessing the United Nations while having communion with their pagan sun god worship through the sun god wafer; the Catholic Church is promoting pagan tolerance; pagan unity; pagan peace; pagan love; and aren’t ALL RELIGIONS wonderful!
I’ve got one Latin word for the Pope and I sing: KUM-BAY-YA!
If the Pope seeks forgiveness, let him remove all idols from the soil of Israel and help Israel build the Third Temple on the Temple Mount, while removing all Catholic Churches from Israeli soil!
Throw that golden cup into the garbage, for you are not communing with Jesus Christ – but another Christ in harmony with the Galatians 1 warning.
There is only ONE MESSIAH AND LORD AND FATHER and that is the God of Israel, who alone is Messiah and Father.
Let all Israelis and Jews who are faithful to the cause of the Third Jewish Temple consider that CATHOLICISM has nothing to do with the God of Israel or anything to do with REAL CHRISTIANITY.
I could sit on my toilet and this pearly white porcellian throne would be just as sacred as the pope’s throne. So tell the Catholic Pope to get back into his glass box and go back to Rome! Leave America and Israel alone!
Sure, the Pope can preach LOVE FOR THE POOR in America all he wants and promote the idea that SANCTUARY CITIES for ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN AMERICA is part of Catholic compassion, however, where is GOD’S SANCTUARY ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT? Of course illegal immigration is encouraged – the POPE RULES FROM ROME! He could hardly care less about America’s National Security!
Cardinal Mahoney, who was up for the Pope’s seat, kicks the homeless away from his twelve story office building in Los Angeles! Quite contrary to their missions of mercy and love! And just what is the Catholic positions on ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO PRAY ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT AND BUILD THE THIRD TEMPLE? There is none.
Get that Pope Mobile off of the God of Israel’s land and property please and send him right back to Rome where he can continue partaking of his sun god worship, who blesses those who curse Israel.
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