Pope to Religious Leaders: "Proclaim with Clarity what We Share in Common"

(12 May 09 - RV) Faith is always lived within a culture said Pope Benedict to the gathered assembly of religious leaders, but certain aspects of globalization and in particular the world of the internet have created a vast virtual culture, the worth of which is as varied as it is debatable.


What contribution can religion makes to the cultures of the world against the backdrop of rapid globalization.  That’s where Pope Benedict’s address to the Religious leaders began; “What can we do about certain aspects of globalization”, he said and “in particular the world of the internet”, which creates closeness and unity yet at the same time can easily “become an instrument of fragmentation”.


He had come to talk to them, but not only, he forward a problem and a common solution.


“Religious belief presupposes truth. The one who believes is the one who seeks truth and lives by it. Although the medium by which we understand the discovery and communication of truth differs in part from religion to religion, we should not be deterred in our efforts to bear witness to truth’s power. Together we can proclaim that God exists and can be known”,


“In an age of instant access to information and social tendencies which engender a kind of monoculture, deep reflection against the backdrop of God’s presence will embolden reason, stimulate creative genius, facilitate critical appreciation of cultural practices and uphold the universal value of religious belief”.


The Pope’s speech was about dialogue and collaboration however in stark contrast just a short few moments after he had finished his address, in an impromptu speech delivered in Arabic Sheikh Tayssir Attamimi, chief Islamic judge in the Palestinian Authority, launched into a 10-minute tirade against the State of Israel, and then left a bewildered hall.


Immediately after the incident Fr. Federico Lombardi, Director of the Press Office of the Holy See clarified : "The intervention of Sheikh Tayssir Attamimi was not scheduled by the organizers of the meeting. In a meeting dedicated to dialogue this intervention was a direct negation of what a dialogue should be."