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Post by guillaume on Jan 2, 2011 8:42:57 GMT
The Pope has recently called for another inter religious reunion in Assisi, Italy, in memory of Jean Paul II's event which occurred in 1986 with much controversy. The new, announced yesterday during the Angelus, is starting to spread and create already much controversy and scandal, above all among traditionalists. The core of the problem here, is that Assisi gather leaders of different religions, some far from the real and unique religion. Instead of trying to convert people to the Unique Truth in Christ, the Pope was praying, with other leaders, for peace. Trads, especially followers of the SSPX, were not impressed regarding this initiative by late JPII. So why, Benedict the XVI, who is making serious efforts to reunite trads within the Church, is doing this again ?
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Post by hibernicus on Jan 2, 2011 21:35:02 GMT
I can think of a few good reasons: (a) To promote better relations between religions, incidentally countering the propaganda of those who declare religion inevitably breeds hatred and should therefore be universally suppressed (see Christopher Hitchens passim). (b) To unite on matters of common concern such as the promotion of family life and opposition to abortion. It is painful to admit, but if it were not for the Islamic states (some of whch are downright wicked in other respects) various international bodies would by now have equated disapproval of sodomy with racism and would have enshrined an universal right to abortion. The Holy See and some catholic states (mostly in Latin America) have also resisted this but without Islamic support they would ahve been brushed aside. (c) To uphold the principle of religious freedom and the right of religious believers to comment on public affairs, which is under threat both from secularists and from certain intolerant religions (not only Islamists, but also Hindu nationalists in INdia). The hope must also be that promoting better relations may assist the plight of our fellow-Christians facing persecution, such as our suffering Chaldean brethren in Iraq and the Copts, some of whom were martyred in Egypt a few days ago. (d) Because the message of peace and reconciliation is in accordance with our faith anyway. I do think that some incidental aspects of the first assisi meeting were mishandled (notably the removal of a tabernacle from a church so non-Christains could worship there) but I don't think it was wrong in principle. Let's wait and see how Pope Benedict handles this.
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