ZENIT, Daily dispatch
The World Seen From Rome
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VATICAN DOSSIER
* Benedict XVI Thanks Muslims for Letter
* Slovenia Hoping for Papal Visit
* Pontiff Grateful for L'Osservatore Romano
WORLD FEATURES
* Having Hope and Being Saved
* Syrian Bishop Asks for Help With Iraqis
* Abortion's 3rd Victim: Dad
* Stem Cell Breakthrough Seen as Providential
NEWS BRIEFS
* Bishops Praise Musharraf's Civilian Role
ROME NOTES
* Homage to St. Cecilia; Borghese Batting 1000
DOCUMENTS
* Pope's Response to Muslim Scholars' Letter
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VATICAN DOSSIER
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Benedict XVI Thanks Muslims for Letter
Papal Willing to Receive a Delegation of the Signers
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- In a response to an open letter sent by 138 Muslim scholars to Benedict XVI and Christian leaders, the Pope affirmed the importance of dialogue and mutual respect and acceptance.
The Muslims' letter, sent Oct. 13, was written on the occasion of the end of the month of Ramadan, and titled "A Common Word Between Us and You."
The Holy Father's responding note, signed by his secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, is addressed to Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, president of the Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, one of the signatories of the original letter.
"The Pope has asked me to convey his gratitude to Your Royal Highness and to all who signed the letter," Cardinal Bertone wrote. "He also wishes to express his deep appreciation for this gesture, for the positive spirit which inspired the text and for the call for a common commitment to promoting peace in the world."
"Without ignoring or downplaying our differences as Christians and Muslims," the papal note said, "we can and therefore should look to what unites us, namely, belief in the one God, the provident Creator and universal Judge who at the end of time will deal with each person according to his or her actions. We are all called to commit ourselves totally to him and to obey his sacred will."
Benedict XVI further reaffirmed the importance of dialogue based on effective respect for the dignity of the person, on objective knowledge of the other's religion, on the sharing of religious experience, and on joint commitment to promoting mutual respect and acceptance.
The letter also mentioned the Holy Father's willingness to receive Prince Ghazi and a delegation of the signatories of the letter. It further affirmed the readiness of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, in collaboration with other specialized pontifical institutes, to organize a working meeting.
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Slovenia Hoping for Papal Visit
Prime Minister Meets With Benedict XVI
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Slovenian prime minister invited Benedict XVI to visit his country in 2009 and expressed his nation's gratitude for the Holy See's concern ever since Slovenia gained independence.
The Vatican press office reported that Janez Jansa visited the Pope today in the Vatican. He later met with the Holy Father's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
The prime minister "invited the Holy Father to visit Slovenia in 2009, for the occasion of the Year of Young People and for the closure of the National Eucharistic Congress," said the Vatican communiqué. "Prime Minister Jansa also outlined the priorities and principal initiatives for the forthcoming six-month Slovenian presidency of the European Union."
Cardinal Bertone expressed his hope that the Slovenian presidency would help bring peace and stability to the region of southeastern Europe, the communiqué reported.
"Finally, a number of bilateral questions were addressed," it continued, "such as the process of restoring ecclesiastical property nationalized under the communist regime, and the prospects for creating a military ordinariate."
Slovenia gained independence in 1991. About 58% of its 2 million inhabitants are Catholic.
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Pontiff Grateful for L'Osservatore Romano
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI thanked staff from L'Osservatore Romano for making pontifical teachings known throughout the world.
The Pope greeted representatives of the Vatican's semiofficial newspaper Wednesday at the conclusion of the general audience held in Paul VI Hall.
"Dear friends: I thank you for your determination in the promotion of the teachings of the Pope in all the world and I accompany you with a particular remembrance in prayer, so that the Lord fills you with abundant spiritual gifts," the Holy Father said.
L'Osservatore Romano was hosting a course for directors of publishing houses that have been entrusted with the printing and distribution of the newspaper.
Newspaper directors are aiming to increase distribution, and the speed with which the paper is delivered, as well as to reduce costs and make L'Osservatore Romano better known.
Publishers in the United States and India are working toward this goal, as well as printers from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Peru.
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WORLD FEATURES
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Having Hope and Being Saved
Philosopher Comments on Theme of New Encyclical
WASHINGTON, D.C., NOV. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The theological virtue of hope is directed toward salvation and the beatific vision, which one can only obtain through the grace of God, says a philosophy professor at Catholic University of America.
Monsignor Robert Sokolowski made that observation ahead of Friday's release of Benedict XVI's new encyclical titled "Spe Salvi" (Saved in Hope), referring to St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, 8:24: "For in hope we were saved."
The text will address one of the three theological virtues -- faith, hope and charity. The Holy Father's first encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est," addressed the topic of charity.
Monsignor Sokolowski spoke with ZENIT about the theme of the Pope's forthcoming encyclical.
Possible, but difficult
"St. Thomas Aquinas," said the priest, "has some wonderful remarks about hope. He points out that it deals with goods that have two features: They are possible to attain, but they are difficult."
Monsignor Sokolowski continued: "If something is impossible to attain, we do not hope for it. We might wish we could reach it, but our wishing is forlorn and resigned; we know we cannot attain that particular good.
"On the other hand, if the thing in question is possible and easy to attain, again we do not hope for it; we just go ahead and do it or obtain it. I do not hope that I will have lunch today; unless I am in some very desperate situation, I just have lunch."
Informed by faith
"Now, the theological virtue of hope is directed to our salvation and the beatific vision, to our life with God," explained Monsignor Sokolowski. "It is the theological virtue of faith that discloses this possibility to us."
He added: "Faith reveals to us the truth that God has redeemed us in the death and resurrection of Christ, and that this has made it possible and thinkable that we should become affiliated in the life of the Holy Trinity.
"We share in the sonship of Christ. The faith of the Church shows us that our destiny is not just to live in this world and in our human community, but to share in God's life. So this life becomes possible.
"But it is obviously difficult; in fact, it is not only difficult but impossible for us by ourselves. Our salvation has to be God's work, and so we call it the work of grace. We hope not in ourselves but in God. And yet, although salvation is God's work and his grace, it does become ours as his gift."
Not optimism
"This theological virtue of hope is different from optimism," said Monsignor Sokolowski, making a distinction, "which is a more mundane kind of attitude, one in which we expect that 'things will turn out all right, after all.' This is not a bad disposition, even though it may at times be quite unrealistic."
"Also," he added, "there can be such things as a worldly hope, say, in human nature; we might think that if you let people exercise their freedom, they will, in the long run, use it well and for the common benefit. This would be the kind of hope behind the idea that a 'democracy' or a republic is better for human affairs in the long run, because more people contribute more talents to the common effort."
"Theological hope is a confidence not in human nature but in God, and not in regard to human flourishing but to eternal salvation," said the professor.
"It presupposes the virtue of faith, which is the acceptance of the truth of God's word, which opens up to us the dimension in which hope itself is possible," Monsignor Sokolowski added. "Hope in turn leads to charity, in which we respond to God's love for us by loving him and by exercising charity toward one another, in the kind of friendship that grace alone makes possible."
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Syrian Bishop Asks for Help With Iraqis
Says Displaced Hold Fast to Identity as Chaldean Christians
LONDON, NOV. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Displaced Iraqi Christians are doing what they can to hold on to their identity, and the Chaldean Church is a big help, says the bishop of Aleppo, in northern Syria. But, he says, more help is needed.
Jesuit Bishop Antoine Audo of Aleppo, a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, is visiting London to appeal for assistance to Iraqi Christian refugees now living in Syria. His visit is sponsored by Iraqi Christians in Need, an aid organization established earlier this year to provide Christians with basic resources.
Some 44% of asylum seekers in Syria are Christian, reported the United Nations' refugee agency, which has been registering refugees since 2003.
Bishop Audo, of Syria's Chaldean Catholic community, spoke with ZENIT about the Christian refugees' situation.
"In Syria, we have a big number of Iraqis of all denominations. There are around 1.2 million Iraqis in Syria, with 60,000 Christians, mostly Chaldeans. Though these people have lost everything, they have the Church and something of their identity as Chaldeans," Bishop Audo explained. "Celebrating the liturgy in the Chaldean language expresses their identity. The Church has an important role to play especially to help the families and to provide a sense of dignity."
Violent motivation
Bishop Audo, outlining three reasons why Christians are targeted, said: "First, they are a weak group, without much self-defense. They are easily attacked for money. There is a new economy in Iraq, and attacking Christians is a new way to get money."
This can be seen with all the kidnappings in the country, the bishop explained. The abductions happen "not only to Christians, but to rich people from the Muslim populations. But if one can get more money for a priest or bishop, then they will do it," said the 61-year-old prelate.
"Second," Bishop Audo continued, "the aggressors identify Christians with the Americans; the Americans are occupying the country, so to express their hate and opposition, they attack Christians."
"Third," he said, "there is historical aggression against Christians. In this, some fanatics act aggressively against Christians" while using the other reasons as an excuse.
Further assistance
What we need in Syria, Bishop Audo said, is "more professionalism in helping. Caritas is doing a lot in organizing the help, but people are suffering. We need professionals who can listen, to give counseling."
"Second, we need a solution of peace, and stability," said the Syrian prelate. We trust "the Holy Father to do what he can to establish peace, to establish confidence between the counties, the Jews and the Arabs. The Muslims and Christians must prepare the future."
Asked about this week's meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, Bishop Audo said: "I cannot give an analysis because it is not my area of expertise, but my feeling is that everyone is moving to do something, from what I am seeing.
"In France, there was a conference with three bishops from Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and priests from Turkey to discuss the situation of Iraqi refugees. I am doing the same here in London.
"A month ago I was invited by the mufti of Syria to go with him on an official visit to Germany to express our way of living between Muslims and Christians, to give a message of dialogue."
"We need something to avoid violence and terror," and people are looking to find ways to peace, Bishop Audo explained.
Something new
Bishop Audo did report that "we are seeing something new in parts of Iraq."
"There are now some safe areas," he said. "This is a new phenomenon and the Iraqi government is helping the refugees return to their homes. They are organizing bus trips back to Iraq in front of the embassy in Damascus to help people. And $800 is offered to each family to encourage them to return."
As for the Christian populations, Bishop Audo concluded, "Generally, the Christians are still waiting; this a new thing. They want to be sure that it is safe."
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Abortion's 3rd Victim: Dad
U.S. Conference Focuses on "Reclaiming Fatherhood"
By Carrie Gress
SAN FRANCISCO, California, NOV. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Men also suffer from abortions because they grieve the loss of their fatherhood, said the founder of Project Rachel.
Project Rachel, along with the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and the National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing (NOPARH), sponsored the first U.S. conference to focus on the effects of abortion on men. The event concluded today at St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco.
Vickie Thorn, the executive director of NOPARH and founder of Project Rachel for post-abortive women, told ZENIT on a trip to Rome that grieving men can't be forgotten, "After all, it takes two parents."
"The model to help men with post-abortion healing has to be different than for women," Thorn explained. "Men have a different way of dealing with these issues. While with women, the emphasis is on talking and crying, men have different ways to deal with their grief.
"A man's grief often is for the lost fatherhood. There is grief for the child, but many times it focuses more on the loss within himself, that he didn't make the transition into fatherhood."
Beginning a ministry
The two-day conference, "Reclaiming Fatherhood," featured experts, including therapists, from a variety of backgrounds and countries, speaking about men's healing process after abortion; abortion's effects on men's spirituality; fatherhood and abortion; and why men who have been involved in abortion come for help.
Speakers included Tom Golden, author of "Swallowed by a Snake: The Gift of the Masculine Side of Healing"; Warren Williams, author of "Fatherhood Lost," "Missing Arrows" and "Fatherhood Aborted"; and Capuchin Father Martin Pable, author of "The Quest for the Male Soul."
Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, of the Knights of Columbus, said: "As an organization of laymen that has a strong history and commitment to life, we think it is very important to highlight the issues faced by those fathers whose children are aborted.
"There are three victims of every abortion, the child and both of his or her parents, and it is our hope that this conference will be the beginning of a ministry within the Church to these fathers, who grieve the death of their unborn child in isolation and silence."
Anderson and Thorn believe the "Reclaiming Fatherhood" conference will help men deal with the psychological trauma of post-abortion reality the way Project Rachel has helped women who have undergone abortions deal with their emotional and spiritual scars.
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Stem Cell Breakthrough Seen as Providential
Church Only Opposes Anti-Human Research, Says Official
By Miriam Diez i Bosch
ROME, NOV. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The president of a group of Catholic medical associations welcomed the news of a stem cell research method that doesn't destroy human embryos, saying divine providence is indicating a path to researches and doctors.
Doctor Josep Simón, president of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, told ZENIT that the breakthrough published Nov. 20 is particularly appealing to Western results-based societies. Two reports published last week showed how scientists generated pluripotent stem cells from human skin cells. The method avoids the ethical concerns raised by embryo-destructive research.
"It appears that providence is indicating the path to doctors and other researchers," Simón told Zenit. "Catholic doctors still have some difficulties bringing many people to understand and accept that nascent human life is worthy of all respect. Nevertheless, only the research and treatments based on adult stem cells are giving results.
"With [adult stem cells], embryos are not destroyed and besides we have results. And results are valued a lot in our Western developed and efficient societies."
Simón said he is glad the breakthrough shows that a morally acceptable technique is also the medically best.
"I don't know how well we would have been able to communicate [our message] if the embryonic stem cells would have given results," he said. "Providence has saved us from the difficulty of having to say: 'You can offer cures with embryos buy you should follow this other path, since the destruction of embryos is immoral.'"
Bishop Elio Sgreccia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, told Vatican Radio he also welcomed the breakthrough.
"Now that there is no need for embryos nor therapeutic cloning -- professedly therapeutic -- a chapter of sharp polemics is closed," he said. "The Church had confronted this for ethical reasons, encouraging researchers to continue with adult stem cells and declaring it illicit to sacrifice the embryo.
"The ethic that respects man is useful also for research and confirms that it is not true that the Church is against research: It is against bad research, which is harmful to man."
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NEWS BRIEFS
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Bishops Praise Musharraf's Civilian Role
Express Hopes That Democracy Will Prevail
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, NOV. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The bishops of Pakistan welcomed Pervez Musharraf's move to step down as army chief and serve as a civilian president, and expressed hopes for democratic rule in the country.
Musharraf promised today to end the nation's state of emergency and restore the constitution, which he suspended Nov. 3. He said this hours after he was sworn in as a civilian president, a day after he stepped down as the army chief.
"We welcome the Musharraf's decision to be a civilian president of Pakistan and it is right decision," Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, the president of the Pakistan episcopal conference, told the national media. "We hope that there will be democratic rule in the country."
The bishops met last Friday to discuss the political crisis of the country, including the declared state of emergency, growing militancy in several regions, restrictions imposed on the media and political unrest.
In the statement released after the meeting, the bishops stated: "We recommend the restoration of fundamental rights which would require lifting of the state of emergency and return to constitutional rule without delay."
The statement continued: "People detained after the imposition of emergency, including lawyers, political activists, students and human rights defenders, must be released immediately and unconditionally.
"While we urge all Christians to pray to God almighty to give wisdom to decision makers who are expected to steer the nation out of this multiple crisis, we would respectfully and strongly recommend that [] all curbs on the print and electronic media must end.
"An independent, credible and acceptable election commission must be constituted. There should be a level playing field for all parties to contest the coming general elections."
The bishops emphasized that "to achieve a meaningful, stable and sustainable democracy, the government should make efforts for a national reconciliation among the political parties, and civil society must be allowed to play their role at all levels for building a consensus on the issues of vital importance, including the challenge to build interreligious and intersectarian peace and harmony for a peaceful and prosperous Pakistan."
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ROME NOTES
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Homage to St. Cecilia; Borghese Batting 1000
Patron of Music Honored With Mass in Latin
By Elizabeth Lev
ROME, NOV. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Rome loves music, from the whistling deliveryman to the street musicians serenading at the local trattorie, to the concerts in the glamorous new Auditorium Hall.
Little wonder then that the feast of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, is always lavishly commemorated. Last week, however, the third-century virgin martyr was particularly honored with the first pontifical Mass celebrated in Rome in the Tridentine rite since the apostolic letter of Benedict XVI liberalized the use of the extraordinary rite of the Mass last July.
A "Pontifical Mass," by the way, is a Mass celebrated by a bishop who is accompanied throughout the service by an assistant priest in addition to a deacon and subdeacon.
Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos celebrated the Mass in the exquisite Church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, nestled in the courtyard of the former University of Rome. This beautiful structure, shaped like a Star of David -- the symbol of wisdom -- was designed by Francesco Borromini, one of the greatest architects of the post-Tridentine era.
The undulating white walls of Borromini's masterpiece echoed with the soft chant of the Schola Gregoriana, while the polyphony of Festina Lente soared to the high vaults of the dome.
Festina Lente, a Roman musical company dedicated to reproducing Italian Renaissance and Baroque music, sang the Missa "Regina Coeli," written by G.P. da Palestrina in the late 16th century.
Palestrina was choirmaster at Santa Maria Maggiore and his compositions proved that polyphonic music could transport listeners with its sublime sounds while remaining intelligible and focused on the prayers of the Mass.
Cardinal Castrillón summed up the experience of the Mass in his homily, "When words fail to express what is in our hearts, we sing to praise the marvelous presence of Christ in the Eucharist."
The dignity of the celebration, with the major ministers lined up before the altar, clad in scarlet vestments to honor Cecilia's martyrdom and framed by the kneeling altar servers, testified to the majesty of Christ's real presence at the altar.
It was a delightful surprise to see that the participants in the Mass ranged from 25 to 70, and hailed from all over the world from the Americas to Australia. What gathered them all under the same stunning dome that evening was the love of this beautiful form of the Mass.
This diversity was also reflected in the tightly packed church. Old women with their shopping bags, young businessmen with briefcases and motorcycle helmets, seminarians and college students from all over the world, Roman nobles and Italian politicians crowded side by side, reciting in unison the Latin prayers.
Cardinal Castrillón reinforced the importance of this ancient language during his sermon, with the reminder that "Latin was the language of the magisterium, of the stories of the saints and even the language of Cecilia herself."
Standing at the altar, under the plaque quoting Psalm 110 (111) -- "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" -- the cardinal preached about the love of God and man's search for divine wisdom through prayer. The old, young, great and humble all can participate in God's wisdom that embraces everyone.
In the shared moment of the liturgy, the universal languages of Latin music and prayer gathered this diverse people together to praise God and honor his glorious martyr Cecilia.
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Canova's Masterpieces
The Borghese Gallery made an extravagant promise last year: 10 years, 10 top shows. The first, dedicated to Raphael in the summer of 2006 was a hit, and as 2007 drew to a close, Romans wondered, had the Borghese already run out of steam?
The Canova show opened in late October and proved that the Borghese is batting 1000. Dozens of statues, plaster casts, drawings and paintings crowded into the limited space, already heavily laden with the stunning works accumulated by Cardinal Scipione Borghese in the early 17th century.
Cardinal Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V, built the villa in 1610 to house a growing collection of works from the old masters such as Raphael to the up-and-coming artists such as Bernini, whom Borghese discovered when the artist was 15.
Borghese's interest in Caravaggio, and Bernini's 10 years of employment at the villa sparked the beginning of the Baroque era which left such a lasting and beautiful effect on Rome.
This constellation of artistic gems remained in the family until for 300 years until in 1902, when the family, for financial reasons, was forced to sell the villa, grounds and collection to the Italian state.
But during the three centuries of Borghese collecting, the villa became a training ground for many great artists, particularly Antonio Canova, born in 1757 in the rural town of Possagno, north of Venice.
After some preliminary training in Venice, he came to Rome in 1779, where direct contact with ancient sculpture, together with the study of Bernini's works in the Borghese, honed his style.
His talent was noticed immediately and by 1792, Canova had completed two papal funerary monuments, one to Clement XIV in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles and the other in St. Peter's for Clement XIII.
While still very indebted to the Baroque influence of Bernini, these works show the first sign of the next great art movement to be born in Rome, Neoclassicism.
Canova's elegant mix of Christian motifs such as the upright and restrained female figure symbolizing Religion juxtaposed by the reclining figure of a paganizing "genius" holding an upside-down torch, moved decisively away from the dramatic and emotive Baroque works.
Unlike his great predecessors in sculpture, Michelangelo and Bernini, Canova never chiseled his works himself. He limited himself to making plaster casts which were given to professional carvers. Canova would then give the final surface touches. Several of Canova's "ghosts," or casts, are featured in the show.
Canova's work swiftly brought him international fame. His lovely 1792 "Penitent Magdalene" kneeling as she meditates on the cross is one of the earliest works in the show.
It is interesting that the lone tear marring the perfect finish of Mary's face can be traced to Bernini's "Pluto and Persephone" in the next room, while the mixture of white marble with bronze accents also reflects his contact with 17th-century sculpture.
Venetian cleric Monsignor Guiseppe Priuli commissioned the Magdalene, but abandoned it when forced into exile with Pope Pius VI by Napoleon. The sculpture was purchased by a French collector and exhibited in Paris where Napoleon took an interest in the Italian artist.
By 1797, Canova was busy replacing works taken by the French under the "Treaty" of Tolentino. He made the "Venus Italica" to replace the "Medici Venus" stolen from the Uffizi and the "Perseus" for the Vatican Museums after the "Apollo Belvedere" was transplanted to the Louvre.
But Canova's Roman masterpiece was "Pauline Bonaparte-Borghese as Venus," a portrait of the Napoleon's favorite sister represented as Venus, winner of the golden apple from Paris for her beauty. Painting, sketches and casts for this sculpture are dotted throughout the show, preparing visitors for this gem of the Borghese collection.
The portrait of the emperor's sister, commissioned in 1803, demonstrates Canova's particular interest in this piece through the perfect surfaces and the exquisite detail.
For this, among other reasons, many have often imagined Canova as a Napoleon sympathizer, but this was not the case. He resisted Napoleon's summons to Paris in 1810, leaving only when threatened, and bravely berated the French emperor for his depredation of Italian art as well as mistreatment of Pope Pius VII.
Canova deemed "art above politics," although he passionately argued with Napoleon and Josephine that the marriage of Roman Catholicism and art had produced most of the spectacular works that France was greedily squirreling away in its museums.
Ironically, his one great commission for Napoleon proved to be his most disastrous work. In 1810, Canova began work on a more than life-size portrait of the emperor as the god Mars.
Perhaps it was the huge sculpture of the notoriously diminutive Napoleon, or the paradox of the god of war as harbinger of peace, or the embarrassing catastrophe of the French campaign in Russia, or simply the fact that the statue was completely nude that made Napoleon back out of the commission, relegating the finished work to a dusty corner of the Louvre.
The duke of Wellington ended up with the Napoleonic colossus as a souvenir of the Battle of Waterloo, and the work remains in England today.
Although an international superstar, courted by popes and kings, Canova never lost his head with all the flattery showered on him. He refused many titles and did not allow himself to be swayed by money.
His diary reveals a man who went to Mass regularly and worried about arriving late, resolved to "hear Mass before doing anything else." He worked for Napoleon under duress, but prepared a portrait of Pius VII as a gift for his heroic resistance to Napoleon.
It was Canova who brought back the famous statues of Laocoon and the "Apollo Belvedere" taken from the Vatican Museums along with Raphael's last work, "The Transfiguration."
While the exhibit emphasizes the more secular side of Canova, particularly the works made for Josephine de Beauharnais, Napoleon's first wife, his ability to create pleasing sculptures for the emperor and his entourage allowed Canova to obtain much from Napoleon for his fellow artists in Rome.
The Galleria Borghese has a time limit of two hours on visits, which is too short for the principal collection, so this show is better suited for those who can indulge the time studying Canova while skipping lightly over Bernini's masterpieces. But the work of Canova opens an interesting window into religion and the arts at the time of the Enlightenment.
The Canova show will remain at the Borghese Gallery until Feb. 3. Reservations are necessary and available through www.ticketeria.it.
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Elizabeth Lev teaches Christian Art and Architecture at Duquesne University's Italian campus. She can be reached at lizlev@zenit.org.
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DOCUMENTS
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Pope's Response to Muslim Scholars' Letter
"We Can and Therefore Should Look to What Unites Us"
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is Benedict XVI's response to the open letter that 138 Muslims scholars addressed to the Holy Father and Christian leaders on Oct. 13. The response was released by the Vatican press office today, and signed Nov. 19 on the Pontiff's behalf by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pope's secretary of state.
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His Royal Highness
Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal
The Royal Palace
Amman
Jordan
From the Vatican, November 19, 2007
Your Royal Highness,
On 13 October 2007 an open letter addressed to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and to other Christian leaders was signed by one hundred and thirty-eight Muslim religious leaders, including Your Royal Highness. You, in turn, were kind enough to present it to Bishop Salim Sayegh, Vicar of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem in Jordan, with the request that it be forwarded to His Holiness.
The Pope has asked me to convey his gratitude to Your Royal Highness and to all who signed the letter. He also wishes to express his deep appreciation for this gesture, for the positive spirit which inspired the text and for the call for a common commitment to promoting peace in the world.
Without ignoring or downplaying our differences as Christians and Muslims, we can and therefore should look to what unites us, namely, belief in the one God, the provident Creator and universal Judge who at the end of time will deal with each person according to his or her actions. We are all called to commit ourselves totally to him and to obey his sacred will.
Mindful of the content of his Encyclical Letter "Deus Caritas Est" (God is Love), His Holiness was particularly impressed by the attention given in the letter to the twofold commandment to love God and one's neighbour.
As you may know, at the beginning of his Pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI stated: "I am profoundly convinced that we must not yield to the negative pressures in our midst, but must affirm the values of mutual respect, solidarity and peace. The life of every human being is sacred, both for Christians and for Muslims. There is plenty of scope for us to act together in the service of fundamental moral values" (Address to Representatives of Some Muslim Communities, Cologne, 20 August 2005). Such common ground allows us to base dialogue on effective respect for the dignity of every human person, on objective knowledge of the religion of the other, on the sharing of religious experience and, finally, on common commitment to promoting mutual respect and acceptance among the younger generation. The Pope is confident that, once this is achieved, it will be possible to cooperate in a productive way in the areas of culture and society, and for the promotion of justice and peace in society and
throughout the world.
With a view to encouraging your praiseworthy initiative, I am pleased to communicate that His Holiness would be most willing to receive Your Royal Highness and a restricted group of signatories of the open letter, chosen by you. At the same time, a working meeting could be organized between your delegation and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, with the cooperation of some specialized Pontifical Institutes (such as the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies and the Pontifical Gregorian University). The precise details of these meetings could be decided later, should this proposal prove acceptable to you in principle.
I avail myself of the occasion to renew to Your Royal Highness the assurance of my highest consideration.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone
Secretary of State
[Original text: English]
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