Pope Benedict speaks to ambassadors of Islam - my comments

Here is the text of what Pope Benedict said this morning to the ambassadors of many Islamic countries.

CNA has a summary of the event.

Amy has published her comments.

Here's who attended the meeting:

"According to the Vatican, participants in the meeting included heads of mission from Kuwait, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Ivory Coast, Indonesia, Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lebanon, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Senegal, Algeria, Morocco, Albania, the Arab League, Syria, Tunisia, Libya, Iran and Azerbaijan. Also present were 14 members of the Islamic Council of Italy and representatives from the Italian Islamic Cultural Center and the Office of the World Muslim League.

Initial indications are that the meeting was well received by Muslim leaders." [CNA]

An important point from his talk that CNA highlighted in its coverage:

"[Pope Benedict] went on to quote the Second Vatican Council document “Nostra Aetate,” which he called the “Magna Carta” for the Church’s position on Muslim-Christian dialogue, saying “The Church looks upon Muslims with respect. They worship the one God living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to humanity and to whose decrees, even the hidden ones, they seek to submit themselves whole-heartedly, just as Abraham, to whom the Islamic faith readily relates itself, submitted to God (NA, 3).” [CNA]

But I would also add to the above quotation another reference Pope Benedict made to a quotation from Nostra Aetate in his speech today. One with a little more apparent relevance I think:

"... Christians and Muslims must learn to work together, as indeed they already do in many common undertakings, in order to guard against all forms of intolerance and to oppose all manifestations of violence; as for us, religious authorities and political leaders, we must guide and encourage them in this direction. Indeed, "although considerable dissensions and enmities between Christians and Muslims may have arisen in the course of the centuries, the Council urges all parties that, forgetting past things, they train themselves towards sincere mutual understanding and together maintain and promote social justice and moral values as well as peace and freedom for all people" (Declaration, Nostra Aetate, 3)."

Rocco reports that the speech, delivered by the Pope in french (of which I was able to hear a little bit on my way into school today), was immediately prepared by the Vatican for publication in Italian, English and Arabic, continuing the trend started recently by L'Osservatore Romano of publishing important Papal speeches regarding Islam in the native tongue of many Muslims.

Here is how Pope Benedict ended his address:

Dear friends, I am profoundly convinced that in the current world situation it is imperative that Christians and Muslims engage with one another in order to address the numerous challenges that present themselves to humanity, especially those concerning the defence and promotion of the dignity of the human person and of the rights ensuing from that dignity. When threats mount up against people and against peace, by recognizing the central character of the human person and by working with perseverance to see that human life is always respected, Christians and Muslims manifest their obedience to the Creator, who wishes all people to live in the dignity that he has bestowed upon them.

Dear friends, I pray with my whole heart that the merciful God will guide our steps along the paths of an ever more authentic mutual understanding. At this time when for Muslims the spiritual journey of the month of Ramadan is beginning, I address to all of them my cordial good wishes, praying that the Almighty may grant them serene and peaceful lives. May the God of peace fill you with the abundance of his Blessings, together with the communities that you represent!

It is not hard to see in the above passage that Pope Benedict is continually emphasizing to his audience that God is the God of peace. Second, the Pope is always calling upon Muslims to respect the dignity and rights of the human person, regardless of whether the person is Muslim or Christian.

And how does one discover the dignity of the human person? Through reason (implicitly) and (explicitly) through faith in the Creator "who wishes all people to live in the dignity that he has bestowed upon them."

Let us hope his message is taken to heart.