(Vatican Radio) On his flight over to Beirut on Friday, Pope Benedict responded to
journalists' questions about war and violence in the Middle East, about the exodus
of Christians, the Arab Spring and a growing fundementalism in the region.
Below
please find Vatican Radio's unofficial translation of the press conference:
Q:
Holy Father, in these days we’re marking terrible anniversaries, such as 9/11 or the
massacre at the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps. Close to Lebanon’s borders a bloody
civil war is being waged and the threat of violence is always close at hand in other
countries as well. With what feelings are you undertaking this journey? Was there
a possibility, or did anyone suggest that you should cancel it for security reasons?
A:
I am very grateful for this opportunity to talk with you. No one ever advised me to
cancel this trip and I never took that idea into consideration, because I know that
as the situation becomes more complicated, it is even more necessary to offer a sign
of fraternal encouragement and solidarity. Therefore the aim of my visit is an invitation
to dialogue, to peace and against violence, to go forward together to find solutions
to the problems. My feelings are above all feelings of gratitude to be able to visit
at this time this great country, which – as John Paul II said – is a message of encounter
for the three religions in this region. I am grateful to the Lord who has given me
this possibility, grateful to all the institutions and people who have worked and
continue to work for this occasion. And I am grateful for all those accompanying me
in prayer, for this protection through prayer. I am happy and I’m sure that we can
be of real service to peace and to people here.
Q: Many Catholics are expressing
concern about a growing fundamentalism in different parts of the world and about attacks
that target Christians in many places around the globe. In this difficult and often
bloody context, how can the Church respond to the imperative of dialogue with Islam
that you have always insisted upon?
A: Fundamentalism is always a falsification
of religion and goes against the meaning of religion which is, instead, an invitation
to share God’s peace throughout the world. Therefore the commitment of the Church
and of religions is to undertake a purification of such temptations, to illuminate
consciences and to try and provide everyone with a clear image of God. We must all
respect each other. Each of us is an image of God and we must mutually respect each
other. The basic message of religion must be against violence which is a falsification
like fundamentalism, it must be education and the illumination and purification of
conscience to promote dialogue, reconciliation and peace.
Q: In the context
of the wave of desire for democracy which is underway in many countries of the Middle
East through the so-called Arab Spring, and given the social conditions in the majority
of these countries where Christians are a minority, is there not a risk of inevitable
tensions between the dominant majority and the survival of Christianity?
A:
In itself, the Arab spring is a positive thing: a desire for greater democracy, more
liberty, more cooperation and a new Arab identity. This cry for liberty, which comes
from a more culturally educated and professional young people, who want greater participation
in political and social life, is positive progress which has been hailed by Christians
as well. Bearing in mind the history of revolutions, we naturally know that this vital
and positive cry for freedom risks forgetting one aspect – a fundamental dimension
for freedom – which is tolerance of the other. The fact is that human freedom is always
a shared freedom, which can only grow through sharing, solidarity and living together
with certain rules. This is always the danger, as it is in this case. We must do all
we can so that the concept of freedom, the desire for freedom goes in the direction
of true freedom and does not forget tolerance and reconciliation which are essential
elements for freedom. Thus also the Arab Spring requires a renewal in this centuries
-old history. Christians and Arabs have built these lands and must live together.
I also believe that it’s important to see the positive elements in these movements
and, do all that is possible to ensure that freedom is correctly conceived and corresponds
to a greater dialogue rather than the dominion of one over the other.
Q:
Holy Father, in Syria, as in Iraq a while ago, many Christians feel obliged to leave
their country with heavy hearts. What does the Catholic Church intend to do or say
to help in this situation and to stem the flow of Christians from Syria and other
Middle Eastern countries?
A: First of all I must say that not only Christians
are leaving, but also Muslims. There is a great danger that Christians leave these
lands and lose their presence there and we must do all that is possible to help them
to stay. The most essential help would be the end of war and violence which causes
this exodus. Therefore we must do all we can to halt the violence and encourage the
possibility of staying together for the future. What can we do against war? Of course
we can always spread a message of peace, insist that violence never resolves problems
and strengthen the forces of peace. The work of journalists is important as they can
help a great deal to show how violence destroys rather than builds anything, that
it is of no use to anyone. Then maybe Christian gestures, days of prayer for the Middle
East, for Christians and Muslims, to show the possibilities of dialogue and solutions.
I also believe that there must be an end to the import of arms: without weapons, war
could not continue. Instead of importing weapons, which is a grave sin, we should
import ideas, peace and creativity. We should accept others in their diversity and
make visible the mutual respect of religions, the respect for man as God’s creation
and love of neighbour as a fundamental element of all religions. We must promote all
possible actions, including material ones, to support the end of war and violence
so that all can contribute to the rebuilding of the country.
Q Holy Father,
You are bringing an Apostolic Exhortation addressed to all Christians in the Middle
East. Nowadays this is a suffering population. Apart from prayer and expressions
of solidarity, do you see concrete measures that the Churches and Catholics in the
West, especially in Europe and America, can take to support their brothers in the
Middle East?
A We need to influence public opinion. We must urge politicians
to really tackle this issue with all their strength and using all means possible,
to work with creativity for peace and against violence. All of us must contribute
to this. In a certain sense, it’s a very necessary task on our part of warning,
education and purification. In addition, our charity organisations should help in
a material sense as well. We have organisations like the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre,
just for the Holy Land, but similar organisations could also provide material, political
and human help in these countries. I would like to say once again that visible signs
of solidarity, days of public prayer, can have an impact on public opinion and produce
real results. We are convinced that prayer has an effect if it is done with much
trust and faith.