From AP, with thanks to Uncle Jeff:
A day after reaching out to other Christians and to Jews in his installation Mass, Pope Benedict XVI met with members of the Muslim community on Monday and assured them that the church wanted to continue "building bridges of friendship."Benedict made the comments in a meeting with religious leaders who attended his installation ceremony, saying he was particularly grateful that members of the Muslim community were present.
"I express my appreciation for the growth of dialogue between Muslims and Christians, both at the local and international level," he said.
He noted that the world is currently marked by conflicts but said it longs for peace.
"Yet peace is also a duty to which all peoples must be committed, especially those who profess to belong to religious traditions," he said. "Our efforts to come together and foster dialogue are a valuable contribution to building peace on solid foundations."
The Vatican didn't say which Muslim leaders attended the private meeting.
A sign that this Pope will continue along a familiar path of dhimmitude? Maybe; but his statement that "peace is also a duty to which all peoples must be committed, especially those who profess to belong to religious traditions" might have been a pointed declaration to his audience that they need to clean their own house.
I don't think it's dhimmitude necessarily. He "pointedly" left out muslims in his installation ceremony and "reaches out" to them only in an informal setting, sort of like forcing them to eat in the kitchen but not in the banquet hall. But I do agree that he is definitely telling them that if they are "religious" people then they better act like "peaceful" people.
A part of this Pope's legacy will be his installment Mass. What he said and did there will be a part of history.
The Muslims weren't mentioned for a reason. It appears that he has challenged the Muslims, the hilligans of the religious world, to shut up, and step up.
They were left out of the Pope's Mass yesterday for a reason.
There will be peace when Muslims start to love their children more than they hate "the Other".
I knew this was going to happen
He over looks the people under threat of death for being Chrisitans $0 just last week.
to build bridges with a idea where no bulwork exsist to create a foundation to hold a bridge.
I have no idea what a dialog would consist of when we would be open to be killed?
"You free tuesday at 3"?
Perhaps this new Pope is laying down the law to the Islamists of the world in no uncertain terms, hence the private meeting?
I still feel good about this Pope. I suspect he's staking out the high ground, here - nothing wrong with that.
Overanalyzing here.
He's a Pope and that's a political position as well as a religious one. He made statements yesterday to other Christians and Jews so today he's got to say something and reach out to Muslims.
Overanalyzing here.
He's a Pope and that's a political position as well as a religious one. He made statements yesterday to other Christians and Jews so today he's got to say something and reach out to Muslims.