«Jeg vil gjerne uttrykke i dag den beundring og store respekt jeg har for muslimske troende», sa paven i dag på fransk i en tale til ambassadører fra muslimske land.
Til stede var representanter fra Kuwait, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Elfenbenskysten, Indonesia, Turkia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Libanon, Jemen, Egypt, Iraq, Senegal, Algeri, Morocco, Albania, Syria, Tunisia, Libya, Iran og Azerbaijan. Til stede var også 14 medlemmer fra Italias muslimske råd og andre muslimske representanter.
Paven fortsatte sin hilsen på denne måten:
«I have had occasion, since the very beginning of my pontificate, to express my wish to continue establishing bridges of friendship with the adherents of all religions, showing particular appreciation for the growth of dialogue between Muslims and Christians.» Deretter fortsatte paven:
«In a world marked by relativism and too often excluding the transcendence and universality of reason, we are in great need of an authentic dialogue between religions and between cultures, capable of assisting us, in a spirit of fruitful cooperation, to overcome all the tensions together.
«Continuing, then, the work undertaken by my predecessor Pope John Paul II,» he added, «I sincerely pray that the relations of trust which have developed between Christians and Muslims over several years, will not only continue, but will develop further in a spirit of sincere and respectful dialogue, based on ever more authentic reciprocal knowledge which, with joy, recognizes the religious values that we have in common and, with loyalty, respects the differences.
«Inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue,» the Pope continued, «is a necessity for building together this world of peace and fraternity ardently desired by all people of good will. In this area, our contemporaries expect from us an eloquent witness to show all people the value of the religious dimension of life.
«Likewise, faithful to the teachings of their own religious traditions, 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.»
Benedict XVI then highlighted how «the lessons of the past» must «help us to seek paths of reconciliation, in order to live with respect for the identity and freedom of each individual, with a view to fruitful co-operation in the service of all humanity. As Pope John Paul II said in his memorable speech to young people at Casablanca in Morocco: ‘Respect and dialogue require reciprocity in all spheres, especially in that which concerns basic freedoms, more particularly religious freedom. They favor peace and agreement between peoples’.»
The Holy Father concluded his address by expressing his profound conviction «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 defense 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.»
VATICAN CITY, SEP 25, 2006 (Vatican Information Service)
Lurer på hvor mange av de som uttaler seg, som egentlig har lest pavens tale. Se f.eks. i Vårt Land 26.09.2006 der paven blir kritisert av Trond Ali Lindstad for å ha sagt at «islam representerer ondskap og umenneskelighet».
Går paven virkelig god for Keiserens utsagn? Eller tar han avstand fra det?
Foredraget kan leses på dansk her: http://www.catholica.dk/
Nettopp. Jeg synes faktisk det er underlig at Linstad fikk slippe til med dette.
Ja – vi skal ha ytringsfrihet. Men det betyr ikke at Vårt Land plikter å trykke alt de får tilsendt, og især ikke et bidrag som, med grunnlag i slurv, feiltagelser og misforståelser, nører opp under en av vår tids store konflikter. Jeg har også skrevet en liten kommentar på min blogg, sjekk gjerne http://snirre.blogspot.com/2006/09/paven-og-dagbladet.html, eller gå bare inn på http://snirre.blogspot.com og rull ned til innlegget «Paven og Dagbladet».