ZENIT, Daily dispatch
The World Seen From Rome
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VATICAN DOSSIER
* Pontiff Urges More Religious Liberty in Ecuador
* Pope to Pharmacists: Don't Anesthetize Consciences
* Benedict XVI Reflects on Beethoven's 9th
* Paraguayan and Pontiff Discuss Church/State Relations
* New L'Osservatore Editor Outlines Priorities
ANALYSIS
* Imposing "Tolerance"
WORLD FEATURES
* Moscow Prelate Begins Mission With New Name
* "New Attitude" Noted in Muslim-Christian Relations
DOCUMENTS
* Pontifical Institute's Response to Muslim Letter
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VATICAN DOSSIER
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Pontiff Urges More Religious Liberty in Ecuador
Hopes Government Will Respect Church's Social Doctrine
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The "margin of freedom" of the Church in Ecuador needs promoting and strengthening, says Benedict XVI.
The Pope affirmed this Saturday in the Vatican, when he received the letters of credence of Fausto Cordovez Chiriboga, the new ambassador of Ecuador to the Holy See.
The Holy Father remarked that "new scenarios of freedom and hope" are "often overturned by unstable political situations and as a consequence of weak social structures."
The Pontiff said there is an "urgent necessity to work toward building an internal and international order that promotes peaceful coexistence, cooperation and respect for human rights, and the recognition, above all, of the central position of the individual and his inviolable dignity."
Constitutional reform
Benedict XVI made reference to the new constitution planned by President Raphael Correa, who won a victory this month in elections for a constituent assembly that will allow his party to make changes basically unhindered. Correa wants to make changes to the constitution so as to establish what he calls a "socialism for the 21st century."
The Pope recalled the teaching of his encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est," saying it must not be forgotten "that love -- caritas -- will always be necessary even in the fairest of societies. No state order, however just it may be, can render superfluous the service of love. [...] Indeed it is charity, the generous giving of self to others, that has generated and continues to generate those activities of education, assistance, promotion and development which so honor the Church and Ecuadorian society.""Through her pastoral ministry the Catholic Church [...] makes an important contribution to the overall good of the country," said the Holy Father. "Hence the need to promote and strengthen the margin of freedom which she is recognized as having in the law and constitution of Ecuador. Hence also, it is to be hoped that the new constitution will provide ample guarantees for the religious freedom of the Ecuadorian people, so that the nation may have a legal framework which [...] conforms to
its context and to international agreements."
Subsidiarity
The Pope emphasized that "the Church's freedom of action, apart from being an inalienable right, is a primordial condition for her to carry out her mission among people, sometimes in difficult circumstances."
He continued: "For this reason, we do not need a state which regulates and controls everything, but a state which, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, generously acknowledges and supports initiatives arising from the different social forces and combines spontaneity with closeness to those in need.
"There can, indeed, be no other aspiration for a democratic government committed to fomenting a culture of respect and equality before the law, and to the exemplary exercise of an authority that aims to serve all its people. Hence, the government of Ecuador has expressed its firm will to make a priority of tending to the most needy, drawing inspiration from the Church's social doctrine."
The Holy Father concluded by expressing the hope that Ecuador's "citizens may enjoy all their rights, together with their corresponding obligations, achieving better living conditions and easier access to a proper home and to a job, to education and health care, in full respect for life from conception to natural end."
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Pope to Pharmacists: Don't Anesthetize Consciences
Warns Against Drugs That Violate Human Dignity
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI told a group of pharmacists that they must avoid anaesthetizing consciences, and emphasized that drugs should be used to help human beings, not to take the life of unborn children or the elderly.
The Pope affirmed this today when he received in audience a group of participants attending the 25th international congress of Catholic pharmacists, under way in Rome.
The Holy Father's brief remarks included a reflection on the developments in pharmaceuticals and medicines and the possibilities they offer. He asked the pharmacists to consider the "ever broader functions they are called to undertake, especially as intermediaries between doctor and patient."
He recalled their role in educating patients "in the correct use of medications" and in informing them of "the ethical implications of the use of particular drugs."
True role"In this context," the Pontiff said, "we cannot anesthetize consciences as regards, for example, the effect of certain molecules that have the goal of preventing the implantation of the embryo or shortening a person's life. Pharmacists must seek to raise people's awareness so that all human beings are protected from conception to natural death, and so that medicines truly play a therapeutic role."
Turning his attention to therapeutic experiments, Benedict XVI recalled that individual persons may not be treated as objects.
Such experiments "must be carried out following protocols that respect fundamental ethical norms," he said, emphasizing that "all attempts at cure or experimentation must be undertaken while bearing in mind the well-being of the person concerned, and not only the pursuit of scientific progress."
"The quest for the good of humanity cannot proceed at the expense of the well-being of the people being treated," the Pope affirmed.
Right to object
The Holy Father also made a firm defense of conscientious objection.
He said the federation of pharmacists "is called to face the question of conscientious objection, which is a right that must be recognized for people exercising this profession, so as to enable them not to collaborate directly or indirectly in supplying products that have clearly immoral purposes such as, for example, abortion or euthanasia."
The Pontiff further affirmed that pharmaceutical organizations should practice "solidarity in the therapeutic field so as to enable people of all social classes and all countries, especially the poorest, to have access to vital medicines and assistance."
"The biomedical sciences are at the service of man," he concluded. "Were it otherwise they would be cold and inhuman. All scientific knowledge in the field of health care [...] is at the service of sick human beings, considered in their entirety, who must have an active role in their cure and whose autonomy must be respected."
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Benedict XVI Reflects on Beethoven's 9th
Says Composer's Suffering Heightened His Perceptivity
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Beethoven's period of isolation and difficulty taught him to listen with a perceptivity akin to an interior or exterior liberation given by God, says Benedict XVI.
Saturday evening in Paul VI Hall, the Pope attended a concert held in his honor, during which the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir played Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The event was organized to thank the Pope for his visit to Bavaria in September 2006.At the end of the concert, the Holy Father recalled that Beethoven composed his final symphony in 1824, after a period of isolation and difficulty "which threatened to suffocate his artistic creativity."
Yet the composer "surprised the public with a composition that broke with the traditional structure of the symphony," rising at the end "in an extraordinary finale of optimism and joy," the Pontiff said.
Benedict XVI continued, "This overwhelming sentiment of joy is not something light and superficial; it is a sensation achieved through struggle" because "silent solitude [...] had taught Beethoven a new way of listening that went well beyond a simple capacity to experience in his imagination the sound of notes read or written." This was akin to "the perceptivity given as a gift by God to people who obtain the grace of interior or exterior liberation."
The Pope recalled how in 1989, when the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir had played Beethoven's Ninth Symphony for the fall of the Berlin Wall, they altered the text from "Ode to Joy" to "Freedom, Spark of God," thus expressing "more than the simple sensation of a historic moment. True joy is rooted in the freedom that only God can give."
"God -- sometimes through periods of interior emptiness and isolation -- wishes to make us attentive and capable of 'feeling' his silent presence, not only 'over the canopy of stars' but also in the most intimate recesses of our soul," the Holy Father affirmed. "There burns the spark of divine love that can free us to be what we truly are."
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Paraguayan and Pontiff Discuss Church/State Relations
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI and the president of Paraguay discussed the role of Church and state in political life during a visit of the latter to the Vatican.
Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos met with the Pope today for 25 minutes. Afterward, the South American leader met with the Pontiff's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for relations with states.
"The cordial meetings served to consider questions concerning the current situation of Paraguay, with particular attention being given to the specific roles of Church and state in political life and in the human, moral, educational an socioeconomic development of the nation," the Vatican press office reported. "The hope was expressed that Paraguayan society may continue along the path of the common good, of legality and of social peace, inspired by the Christian values of justice and of respect among all citizens."
At the moment of the traditional exchange of gifts, the Paraguayan entourage was empty-handed. The luggage containing the gifts -- a traditional Paraguayan poncho woven with 60 colors and a gift of silver -- was lost in the flight from France to Italy, due to an airport strike.
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New L'Osservatore Editor Outlines Priorities
Benedict XVI Praises Vian's Preparation for Post
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Interreligious dialogue and friendship with believers and nonbelievers will top the priorities for the new editor of the Vatican's newspaper.
Giovanni Maria Vian said this on the front page of Sunday's L'Osservatore Romano, in a programmatic article from the editor titled "Tradition and History." A letter from Benedict XVI to Vian also appeared on the same page.
The Holy Father's letter praised the new director's "profound cultural formation as a historian of Christianity" and his "knowledge of the history of the modern papacy."
Since 1861, Benedict XVI noted, L'Osservatore Romano "has made known the teachings of the Roman Pontiffs and the contributions of their closest collaborators concerning the crucial problems humanity encounters on its journey."
The Pope recalled some of the milestones in L'Osservatore's history, mentioning "the decision to remain impartial, which characterized the information given by the Vatican daily during the First World War," and the fact that during the Second World War, L'Osservatore saw its prestige and circulation grow "thanks also to the opportunity the newspaper had to draw from sources of information which, at the time, only the independence of the Vatican could guarantee."
The Holy Father also praised the increased number of language editions, giving the paper an international circulation and "a world dimension that [...] is extremely important in truly expressing the reality of the universal Church and the communion of all the local Churches [...] in a context of sincere friendship toward the women and men of our time."
The newspaper's fundamental task, the Pontiff concluded, "obviously remains that of favoring, in the cultures of our time, a trusting and at the same time profoundly reasonable openness to the transcendent, upon which, in the final instance, rests respect for the dignity and the authentic freedom of each human being."
A program
Vian's article indicated his hopes that the newspaper will "spread the teaching and preaching of the Bishop of Rome in two ways: conserving its special nature of documentation, and developing newsworthy information."
He expressed his plans that the paper will become a voice for the organizations that represent the Holy See, both in and out of Rome.
The daily, Vian affirmed, will give ample space to the international view, in particular, to the dialogue of faith and reason, to current events of the Catholic Church, Christian confessions, Judaism, Islam and other religions.
"Following the example of Benedict XVI and spreading his teachings," the editor said, "this newspaper wants to direct itself in friendship with all, believers and nonbelievers."
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ANALYSIS
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Imposing "Tolerance"
Christians Obliged to Approve Homosexuality
By Father John Flynn, LC
ROME, OCT. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- State laws on homosexuality are increasingly creating conflicts for Christians who wish to follow their conscience. In recent days, news came from England of a Christian couple who face being forced to give up their role as foster parents because they were not prepared to promote homosexuality, reported the Telegraph newspaper Oct. 24.
Vincent Matherick and his wife Pauline are registered as foster parents in Somerset County. They are also ministers at the non-conformist South Chard Christian Church. They were recently informed by authorities that they must obey laws that require them to treat homosexuality as equal to heterosexuality.
The couple told the Telegraph that they would neither condemn nor condone homosexuality, and that they could not actively promote it because of their religious beliefs. They have 3 children of their own, and have cared for no less than 28 children.
"We feel we are being discriminated against as Christians, and many others are finding themselves in our position," said Pauline Matherick.
An article published the same day by the Daily Mail newspaper added that the new laws are part of the Equality Act 2006, which make discrimination on the grounds of sexuality illegal. The change comes at a time when the Daily Mail said there is a critical shortage of foster parents, with an additional 8,000 needed.
Freedom of religion
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor strongly criticized the ideology inspiring such laws shortly after their approval, during a lecture given March 28 at Westminster Cathedral Hall. In his address titled "The Kingdom of God and This World: the Church in Public Life," he maintained that, "freedom of religion is much more than the freedom to worship; it is the freedom to act according to that belief in the service of others."
He also warned against a model of a secular state that seeks to totally exclude religious principles. "The choice of the state to side with the secular is said to be neutrality; and it is usually justified by an appeal to equality," Cardinal Murphy O'Connor explained.
"But this is in itself ideology, divorcing religion from the public realm on the pretext that religion is divisive," he continued.
"If equality can only be promoted at the expense of the freedom to manifest our religion, we have reason to question the nature of that equality," the cardinal observed. "It is not, surely, an equality which adequately recognizes the common dignity of all."
One of the consequences of the new laws is to force Catholic adoption agencies to place children in the care of homosexual couples. Recently Catholic Care, one of these agencies, announced it is ending its adoption service as a result of the law, reported the Daily Mail newspaper July 27.
According to the article, Catholic Care, which is run by the Diocese of Leeds, is one of seven Catholic agencies that may be forced to stop adoption services. The law gave the agencies until December 2008 to adapt to the new regulations on sexual discrimination.
The Daily Mail also warned that the new law will have widespread consequences. For example, a Christian printer will not be able to refuse producing material promoting homosexuality, and churches will not be allowed to refuse to rent out conference centers or parish halls to homosexual groups.
On July 30, the Telegraph newspaper published an article reporting on a warning by Meg Munn, a junior government minister, that Muslim or Christian guesthouse owners cannot refuse to accept homosexual couples unless they impose a ban on all couples from sleeping together.
Judge excluded
Just before the Matherick's case came to light, an employment appeal tribunal heard the claim of a Christian magistrate forced to resign because he refused to place children for adoption with homosexual couples, reported the Times newspaper Oct 23.
Andrew McClintock was forced to stand down from the family panel in Sheffield after he was refused exemption from adoption hearings involving same-sex couples. He continues to act as a magistrate for non-family cases. McClintock lost a claim for discrimination at a hearing in March.
During the hearing, Paul Diamond, representing McClintock, explained that his client's objections were based on the conviction that placing children with homosexual couples was an experiment in social science.
The Church of England has also run into problems with anti-discrimination laws. A tribunal ruled in favor of John Reaney, a homosexual who was refused a job by the bishop of Hereford, Anthony Priddis, reported the Telegraph newspaper July 19.
An employment tribunal found that Reaney had been discriminated against on the grounds of sexual orientation when he was refused the post of a youth worker in the diocese.
Bishop Priddis said that in his evidence he had made it clear to Reaney that a person in a sexual relationship outside marriage, whatever their sexual orientation would be turned down for the post, according to the Telegraph. In addition the bishop said that Reaney's behavior was contrary to Church teaching and had "the potential to impact on the spiritual, moral and ethical leadership within the diocese."
Marriage ceremony pressure
England is far from being the only country where Christians are feeling the pressure of anti-discrimination laws.
In the United States, an Ocean Grove church group is suing the state of New Jersey, reported the New York Times, Aug. 14. The group complained that authorities are pressuring them to allow a civil ceremony for a lesbian couple at a pavilion they own on the oceanfront.
The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association originally denied a request in June by Harriet Bernstein and Luisa Paster to hold the ceremony on Sept. 30. The couple then lodged a discrimination complaint with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights. In reaction, the group filed a suit with the United States District Court to defend their religious rights.
Then there was the case earlier this year in New Zealand, where a homosexual Iranian won asylum while another Iranian, a Christian, was denied the same status. According to a Feb. 9 report by the New Zealand Herald, the Refugee Status Appeals Authority allowed Ahmad Tahooni to stay, even though in his original appeal he had claimed asylum on political and not sexual grounds.
Meanwhile, Thomas Yadegary, also Iranian, converted to Catholicism after arriving in New Zealand in 1994. He was arrested in November 2004 and his application for refugee status was rejected. Yadegary argued that Muslims who convert to Christianity face a potential death penalty in Iran.
"What kind of hypocritical double standard is in place, among this country's immigration officials," asked Auckland Catholic priest, Father Peter Murnane, in a Feb. 7 press release by the New Zealand Catholic Communications office.
Ideological campaigns
The promotion of homosexuality is not only affecting religious liberty, but is also taking on the tones of an ideological campaign of promotion. On Oct. 24, the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on a campaign being launched by the Italian region of Tuscany against anti-homosexual discrimination.
The photo depicts a newborn baby with a hospital bracelet on its arm, bearing the word "homosexual." Plans call for thousands of copies of the photo to be distributed in the form of brochures and posters.
According to Alessio De Giori, president of the Tuscan branch of a pro-homosexual lobby group, ArciGay, is to convince people that homosexuality is not a choice but is something immutable and genetically determined.
The photo was immediately criticized by the Pope's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, reported the Italian news agency ANSA that same day, who said that the organizers had gone too far in their campaign. Increasingly, a tolerance for differences is a concept homosexual advocates have removed from their vocabulary.
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WORLD FEATURES
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Moscow Prelate Begins Mission With New Name
Mother of God Archdiocese Welcomes Its Leader
MOSCOW, OCT. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- A name change has been given to 47-year-old Italian-born Archbishop Paolo Pezzi as he begins his ministry as the leader of the Mother of God Archdiocese in Moscow.
Father Igor Kovalevski, secretary-general of Russia's bishops' conference, told Archbishop Pezzi that he would no longer be known by his Italian name, "Paolo," but by its Russian equivalent, "Pavel."
Archbishop Pezzi's episcopal ordination Saturday in Moscow's cathedral was celebrated by Archbishop Tadeus Kondrusiewicz, whose 16-year ministry in Moscow ended last month with his appointment to Minsk-Mohilev, in his native Belarus.
Archbishop Pezzi was until now the rector of the Mary Queen of the Apostles major seminary in St. Petersburg, was named to lead the Moscow diocese in September.
During the ordination Mass, celebrated in Russian, Latin and Italian, Archbishop Kondrusiewicz highlighted the difficult responsibility of a bishop: "To teach how to love God -- Christ calls the bishop to be his apostle and continues through him his mission. It is God who guides his people through the bishop."
Referring to the passage of the Gospel of John that recounts Peter's triple confession, Archbishop Kondrusiewicz affirmed that the role of the bishop is to serve every person until the end.
"A bishop is like a guardian angel," he affirmed, making reference to the role that his successor will now fulfill. "On the one hand, the Church in Russia has existed for more than a century, but on the other hand, it is still very young. It is for that reason that Archbishop Pezzi will now be a type of guardian angel, to him is commended the heart of the Catholic Church in Russia.
"With love, tell Jesus, 'Yes, Lord, I love you,' and he will make you 'strong with his Holy Spirit.'"
Archbishop Kondrusiewicz asked the faithful to commend the new archbishop to their prayers.
Man of heart
Archbishop Antonio Mennini, apostolic nuncio in Russia, addressed the cathedral full of priests, men and women religious, diplomats and faithful, including many Italians. He said that Archbishop Pezzi, like Archbishop Kondrusiewicz had been for 16 years, needs to be an prelate "of the heart."
The nuncio recalled that the new prelate knows Russia very well, saying he is anything but a stranger in that lands. He affirmed that Benedict XVI would not have made the appointment without the certainty of the young archbishop's love for the Russian people. "Together, we will build the Kingdom of God," Archbishop Mennini affirmed.
After being ordained, Archbishop Pezzi explained that in his life from the beginning, he sensed a call to listen to God and serve him. He particularly thanked the representatives present from various Christian confessions: "I see signs of love from the Orthodox Church."
And it was precisely during his turn to offer congratulations that Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, vice president of the Department of External Church Relations for the Moscow Patriarchate, in the name of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II, and Orthodox Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, expressed his hope that together, they and Archbishop Pezzi would develop dialogue and cooperation to resolve common problems.
Father Igor Vyzhanov, secretary for Inter-Christian Relations at the Department of Religious Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, was present, as was the Orthodox patriarch of Antioch, Bishop Niphon, and distinguished diplomats from Russia.
Congratulations also arrived from the Department of Religious Affairs of the lower house of Russian Parliament and from the principle rabbi of Moscow.
Concelebrants of the ordination Mass were Archbishop Mennini; Archbishop Tomasz Peta of Maria Santissima in Astanta, Kazakhstan; and three Russian prelates: Bishops Joseph Werth of Trasfigurazione a Novosibirsk; Cyryl Klimowicz of San Giuseppe a Irkutsk; and Clemens Pickel of San Clemente a Saratov.
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"New Attitude" Noted in Muslim-Christian Relations
Pontifical Institute for Islamic Studies Responds to Open Letter
ROME, OCT. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- A letter sent this month by scholars of Islam to Christian leaders shows that a new attitude is emerging in Muslim-Christian relations, according to an institute for Islamic studies in Rome.
The Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies made this affirmation Thursday in a statement that responds to the letter sent Oct. 11 by 138 Muslim scholars to Benedict XVI and other Christian leaders.
The response titled "A Common Word Between Us and You" noted that the letter sent by the scholars was "a highly significant event," and praised the wide array of signatories representing Muslims of every continent.
The text of the pontifical institute was signed by Father Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, rector, Father Etienne Renaud, dean of studies, and three professors.
The letter sent by the Muslim scholars, noted the pontifical institute, did "not seek refuge in a convenient one-sided protest," but rather placed "themselves as partners within humanity."
The response said that a fundamental point of the open letter sent by the Muslims was common ground, in particular the commandment to love one's neighbor: "Only this can guarantee success in a genuine relationship between culturally and religiously diverse communities."
"In addition," the letter continues, "as faith always goes together with good works, as the Koran never fails to repeat, [...] love of God is inseparable from love of neighbor."
The text sent by Muslim scholars referred to various Christian texts of the Gospel, and the pontifical institute noted, "This is evidence of deep respect and genuine attentiveness to others, while at the same time of a true scientific spirit. In this respect also, we note the emergence of a new attitude."
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DOCUMENTS
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Pontifical Institute's Response to Muslim Letter
"We Note the Emergence of a New Attitude"
ROME, OCT. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the response published Thursday by the staff members of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies of Rome to the letter sent Oct. 11 by 138 Muslim scholars to Benedict XVI and other Christian leaders. The letter sent by the Muslims was titled "An Open Letter and Call from Muslim Religious Leaders."
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A Common Word Between Us and You
"An Open Letter and Call From Muslim Religious Leaders" to leaders of different Christian Churches as a festive message on the occasion of the ending of the fast of Ramadan 1428/2007, and on the first anniversary of the 2006 "Open Letter of 38 Muslim Scholars to H.H. Pope Benedict XVI" is a highly significant event that we cannot fail to notice and must accentuate its importance. Accordingly, as members of staff of the Rome Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI), concerned particularly with relations between Christians and Muslims, we believe it is our duty to express our viewpoint on this document.
In an attempt to enter with an open mind into the dynamic of this event just as it appears, we would like to register all that we appreciate in the presentation and content of these pages. We are convinced of the good faith of those who produced it, purified by their lengthy fast during Ramadan. Our long and diligent association with the cultural and religious patrimony of Islam, as well as our regular contacts with members of the Muslim community enables us to take note of the originality of this gesture and entitles us to draw the attention of non-Muslims to it qualities.
Firstly, we were impressed by the broad scope of this text. Its breadth at the level of the signatories, one hundred and thirty-eight Muslim personalities from numerous countries of every continent, whose religious affiliations demonstrate a great variety. There was breadth also at the level of the addressees, all leaders of different Christian Churches, including twenty-eight named explicitly.
In the same line of observation, we highlight the extent of the area under consideration: Muslims, Christians, Jews and people worldwide. The authors of the letter do not seek refuge in a convenient one-sided protest on behalf of the "umma," but on the contrary, place themselves as partners within humanity. For it, they offer their way of perceiving its foundations and principles, accepted also by other communities, in view of its survival in an effectual and general peace.
The broad sweep of its perspectives is also a noteworthy feature of this text. Admittedly, its authors are interested in the fate of the present world, at stake here and now, but also in that of the 'eternal souls', a destiny determined elsewhere and in the future. This dual aim, at once immanent and transcendent, runs a strong and liberating current throughout this discourse.
Naturally, we are equally struck by the fundamental character of the issue in question: God and humankind. It is much easier to confine oneself to ideas that are all the more generous for being vague and general, than to call attention in this way to the urgency of God's rights and those of humanity that demand continual awareness and an active and concrete love from each individual.
We are also keenly aware of the special treatment that the signatories of this letter give to the supreme point of reference that undergirds "the other" as Jew or Christian, namely, the dual commandment of love of God and neighbour in Deuteronomy and in Matthew's Gospel. This willingness to acknowledge another person in the deepest desire of what he or she wants to be seems to us one of the key points of this document. Only this can guarantee success in a genuine relationship between culturally and religiously diverse communities.
At the same time, we appreciate the way the authors of this text, as Muslims, see the proper definition of their own identity in these two commandments. They do so not by compliance or by politicking, but truly, solely on the basis of their proclamation of divine uniqueness, (al-tawhîd), the pivot of Muslim belief. Indeed, we acknowledge that the radical acceptance of divine uniqueness is one of the most authentic expressions of love owed to God alone. In addition, as faith always goes together with good works, as the Koran never fails to repeat, (al-ladîna âmanû wa 'amilû al-sâlihât : al-Baqara 2, 25), love of God is inseparable from love of neighbour.
We are grateful to those who challenge us, thus underlining the agreement over the essential that underpins our diverse communities of believers, nonetheless keeping a realistic and bold vision in place. In effect, on the one hand, they do not erase the differentiation of our Christological options and on the other, they do not disregard the problem of religious freedom (lâ ikrâha fî l-dîn : al-Baqara 2, 256), which they consider a crucial issue. This realism does not prevent them from having a positive view concerning obstacles and differences that remain between us. This means that faithful to the Koranic tradition that inspires them, they only see in it an opportunity for competition in the pursuit of the common good, (fa-stabiqû l-hayrât : al-Mâ'ida 5, 48).
Undoubtedly, this positive view of problems enabled them to avoid controversy, to surpass themselves, to shoulder and ignore their disappointment to a response that did not rise to their expectations in the outcome of their letter of 2006 addressed to H.H. Pope Benedict XVI.
Reading this document, we notice on their part the presence of a new and creative attitude relative to the Koranic text and that of the Prophetic tradition. This is in reference to certain historical interpretations, marked by particular situations that made access relatively restricted as far as the consideration of non-Muslims was concerned. In particular, we have in mind the general application they give to the Âl 'Imrân 3, 113-115 verses, relative to 'a staunch community who recite the revelations of God in the night season, falling prostrate,' that many commentators had up to then considered only in relation to Christians on the point of converting.
We are pleased to see that the biblical and Gospel quotations used in this document come from the sources and that explanations given are on occasion based on the original languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. This is evidence of deep respect and genuine attentiveness to others, while at the same time of a true scientific spirit. In this respect also, we note the emergence of a new attitude.
In conclusion, we wish to insist on the a priori positive attitude of the writers of this text in their interpretation of the three parallel passages in the Synoptic Gospels. They could have chosen a much more restrictive and minimalist exegesis with which the Christian tradition would have provided them without difficulty and of which they were surely aware. Inspired by their attitude, we also would only hold to the maximum interpretation according to which the texts of the Koran and the Prophetic tradition do not only restrict to members of the umma the benefits that any good Muslim may lavish on his neighbour, for the sake of his faith in God and in his exclusive love for him.
Differences in our languages and in our hues, (ihtilâf alsinati-kum wa alwâni-kum: al-Rûm 30, 22), that is, our deep cultural differences, will be far from engendering suspicion, distrust, contempt and dissension in us, as it often turned out in the history of our relations and still is the case in the world today. Such a document encourages us to pursue our commitment with determination, so that these variations will be seen as signs for those who know, (inna fî dâlika la-âyâtin li-l-'âlimîna), that is, as the mercy of Our Lord.
Rome, 25th October 2007
Rev. Fr. Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, Rector
Rev. Fr. Etienne Renaud, Dean of Studies
Rev. Fr. Michel Lagarde, Professor
Rev. Fr. Valentino Cottini, Professor
Rev. Fr. Felix Phiri, Professor
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