VATICAN
CITY, April 20, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) –
Although Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday, April 20, that he wanted
dialogue with other faiths and cultures, some voiced their concern
about the new pope’s political opinions and his stand on Islam.
The
new pope – Germany’s Joseph Ratzinger – has a couple of
political views that were set to draw controversy and were immediately
highlighted by world media, following his election late Tuesday.
The
most recent of these causes has been Turkey’s attempts to become a
member of the European Union. He says allowing the predominantly
Muslim nation into Europe’s club would be “an enormous mistake.”
Europe
is a “cultural continent, not a geographic one,” he said in 2004,
and Turkey has “always represented another continent... in permanent
contrast with Europe,” according to Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Wednesday.
The
matter was highlighted also by the US daily The New York Times
in an editorial saying; “On matters of public policy, however, all
of us have reason to be concerned about the opinions of the leader of
more than one billion Catholics”.
Turkey,
Islam
 |
|
“I
will spare no effort and commitment to continue the promising
dialogue with other civilizations that was started by my venerable
predecessors,” Pope Benedict XVI said.
|
As
a cardinal, the new pope inserted himself last year into the political
debate over allowing Turkey into the European Union, the paper said,
quoting him as saying that “adding Turkey would dilute the culture
of what he considers a Christian continent”.
He
also said that Turkey, a predominantly Muslim nation of 70 million
people, should align itself instead with other Muslim nations.
The
paper added that it would be extremely disturbing if the pope became
an unnecessary wedge in the process of reconciling the Islamic world
with the non-Islamic West.
“It
would also be out of keeping with the heritage of John Paul II - who,
for all his doctrinal conservatism, was a man known for his outreach
to people of other faiths.”
The
same concern was present in Turkish newspapers, which expressed
concern that the new Pope's past opposition to Ankara joining the
European Union on the grounds that it is a Muslim nation could raise
fresh obstacles to its membership.
Turkish
papers also quoted Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying
Wednesday he hoped the new pope would soften his stiff opposition to
the Muslim nation’s bid to join the European Union.
“He
has voiced such views as his personal opinion in the past, but his
rhetoric may change from now on,” Erdogan said.
The
Roman Catholic Church elected
Tuesday Ratzinger, 78, as its first new pope of the third millennium,
a choice that was welcomed by conservatives but caused consternation
among Church reformers.
Ratzinger
was considered to be Pope John Paul II's “right hand man” and also
one of his closest friends, and during the Pope's final illness, he
carried out many of the Pope’s functions as leader of the Catholic
Church.
Apart
from his battle against communism and quest for global peace, the late
Pope John Paul II who
died
on Sunday, April 3, is also remembered for as an untiring advocate of
Christian unity and inter-religious dialogue.
John
Paul II was further known for his love for peace and round rejection
of injustices worldwide, criticizing anti-Iraq war, US policies in the
Middle East and the Israeli separation wall in the West Bank.
Swift
Move
May
be that’s why the new pope moved swiftly to allay fears that his
papacy would be rigidly inward-looking, saying he wanted dialogue with
other faiths and cultures, Reuters reported Wednesday.
“I
welcome everybody with simplicity and love to assure them that the
Church wants to continue in open and sincere dialogue with them, in
search of true good of man and society,” he said at his first public
Mass Mass with the red-hatted cardinals who elected him.
The
pontiff said he felt his predecessor was guiding him and holding his
hand.
“I
will spare no effort and commitment to continue the promising dialogue
with other civilizations that was started by my venerable
predecessors,” he said.
The
new pope assurance came on the same day Muslim leaders urged
him to follow the path of his predecessor by building bridges between
the world's two predominant religions and helping to avoid religious
bloodshed, Reuters reported.
“I
hope the new Pope will follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and
try to bring peace in the world,” said Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a
Pakistani Islamic scholar and politician.
Indonesia,
the world’s largest Muslim-populated state, welcomed Wednesday the
appointment of the new pope and aired hopes that he would build on his
predecessor’s work to unite Islam and Christianity.
Ratzinger
inherits an extraordinary legacy of interfaith dialogue from Pope John
Paul, whose death this month brought accolades from the Muslim and
Jewish worlds. State leaders from both attended his funeral.
But,
a report on FrontPageMagazine.com Wednesday wrote that while
“the late Pope kissed the (Noble) Qur’an and pursued a consistent
line of conciliation toward the Islamic world… the new Pope Benedict
XVI, while no less charitable, has been a bit more forthcoming about
the reality of how Islam challenges the Catholic Church, Christianity,
and even the post-Christian West.”
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