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KURUVACHIRA JOSE THE-481 1

KURUVACHIRA JOSE

Course Code or Name: THE-481

This paper uses UK standards for spelling and punctuation

POPE BENEDICT XVI AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE WITH WORLD RELIGIONS

1) Introduction

Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Aloysius Ratzinger, 1927-)1, whose papacy lasted eight years (2005-

2013), is considered as one of the unparalleled intellectual forces in the Roman Catholic Church today.

He has been described as an intellectual rooted in faith, a man with incomparable knowledge of the

intellectual shifts and transformations in the Church, and an inviolable bulwark of Catholic orthodoxy

in contemporary times.2 In fact, his numerous writings defend the traditional Catholic doctrines and

values, and for this reason, some of his adversaries have called him conservative and a formidable

1 He was born on 16 April 1927 at Marktl am Inn, Upper Bavaria, Germany, as the youngest of the three children born to Joseph and Maria Ratzinger. In 1939 he joined St Michael’s minor seminary of the archdiocese of München and Freising at Traunstein, and was ordained priest on 29 June 1951. In 1953 he received his doctorate in theology for a thesis on St. Augustine, and in 1957 he did his post-doctoral dissertation (Habilitation) on St. Bonaventure. He taught theology at the famous universities of Bonn (1959-1963), Münster (1963-1966), Tübingen (1966-1969) and Regensburg (1969-1977), and attended the Vatican Council II (1962-1965) as a theological advisor (peritus). On 28 May he was ordained bishop of München and Freising, and on 27 June 1977 made cardinal. From 1982 to his election as Pope he was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith in the Vatican. On 19 April 2005 Ratzinger was elected Pope and took the name Benedict XVI. On 28 February 2013 he resigned as Pope. Benedict XVI is a man with deep theological and cultural preparation. He speaks several modern languages (German, French, Spanish, Italian and English) and is quite at home with classical Greek, Latin and Hebrew. For the details of his life and career see Joseph Kardinal Ratzinger, Aus meinem Leben. Erinnerungen (1927-1977), Stuttgart, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1998, pp. 28,46,51, 108,111, 114; Id., Licht der Welt. Der Papst, die Kirche und die Zeichen der Zeit. Ein Gespräch mit Peter Seewald, Freiburg, Herder, 2010, pp. 223-228; Tracy Rowland, Ratzinger’s Faith. The Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, London, Oxford University Press, 2008, p. 1; Joann F. Price, Pope Benedict XVI. A Biography, California, Greenwood, 2103, pp. xi-xxvi, 25-36, 45-61,63-79,131,135-136.

2 Cfr. Heinz-Joachim Fischer, Pope Benedcit XVI. A Persna Portrait, trs. Brian McNeil, New York, Crossroad Publishing Company, 2005, pp. 7-8,43.


opponent of reforms.3 During his papacy, Benedict XVI advocated a return to fundamental Christian

values to counter the increased secularization of many Western countries, and relativism’s denial of

objective truth, especially moral. He published three encyclicals4 and four Post-Synodal Apostolic

Exhortations5, in addition to his numerous homilies and discourses. As Pope, he also published a life of

Christ in three parts. He is a prolific writer and author of numerous theological works. His main areas

of interest in theology are: ecclesiology, liturgy and revelation. Some of his favourite theological

themes are, witness to truth, relationship between faith and reason, Christianity as religion according to

reason, religious liberty, radical secularism, ‘dictatorship of relativism’, etc. He has great interest in

orthodox liturgy and patristic theology, and has actively promoted ecumenical relations. He is noted for

his new emphasis on interreligious relations based on culture or intercultural dialogue. As Pope he

travelled extensively6, and in 2008 he addressed the United Nations Organisation, on the occasion of

the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights.7 This paper discusses the dialogue of Benedict

XVI with Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Traditional religions and others, with some critical

observations.

1) Theological influences on Benedict XVI

Basically, Benedict XVI is a ‘decided Augustinian’ and to a certain extent Platonist. He was

attracted to Bonaventure’s theology, which was very much in the Augustinian tradition. It is important

to note that, Benedict XVI was not enchanted by pre-conciliar Thomism, though he admits that

3 Cfr. Joann F. Price, Pope Benedict XVI. A Biography, p. 93.4 They are: Deus caritas est (2005), in Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Vol. 98 (2006), 217-252; Spe salvi, in Acta Apostolicae

Sedis, Vol. 99 (2007), 985-1041; and Caritas in Veritate, in Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Vol. 101 (2009), 641-709.5 They are: Sacramentum Caritatis, in Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Vol. 99 (2007), 105-180; Verbum Domini, in Acta

Apostolicae Sedis, Vol. 102 (2010), 681-787; Africae Munus (2011), in Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 7 part 2, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2012, 653-739; and Ecclesia in Medio Oriente (2012), in Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 8 part 2, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, 194-245.

6 Besides his visits to many places in Italy, Benedict XVI visited Germany, his homeland (2005, 2006, 2011), Poland (2006), Spain (2006, 2010, 2011), Turkey (2006), Brazil (2007), Austria (2007), United States of America (2008), Australia (2008), France (2008), Cameron (2009) Angola (2009), Israel (2009), Jordan (2009), Palestinian territories (2009), Czech Republic (2009), Malta (2010), Portugal (2010), Cypress (2010), United Kingdom (2010), Croatia (2011), San Marino (2011), Benin (2011), Mexico (2012), Cuba (2012) and Lebanon (2012).

7 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 1, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2009, p. 696.


scholasticism has its greatness.8 Other significant influences on him are, the Sacred Scripture, Fathers

of the Church, and the theology of the Vatican II. Among the lesser influences mention may be made of

Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890), Romano Guardini (1885-1968), Henri de Lubac (1896-

1991), Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988) and others.

2) Benedict XVI and interreligious dialogue

Benedict XVI was open to dialogue with followers of other religions, and sought to improve

relations with them throughout his pontificate. He was convinced that a dialogue that is sincere and

respectful between religions and cultures, is crucial for the future of human family.9 In his first homily

as Pope, on 20 April 2005, he said that, the Church wants to engage in an open and sincere dialogue

with followers of other religions, in order to seek the true good of every person and of society as a

whole.10 On 25 April 2005, the day after his installation as Pope, he met with the 70 Christian

representatives, 7 Muslim delegates and 17 Buddhist representatives who had attended his installation.

Jewish representatives missed the meeting because it was held during their Passover observance.11 In

this meeting he pledged that his pontificate would be marked by authentic and sincerer dialogue built

upon respect for the dignity of every human person. 12

In promoting interreligious dialogue, Benedict XVI was greatly influenced by the theology of

Vatican II, which placed special emphasis on the importance of dialogue and co-operation with the

followers of other religions.13 He considered the Declaration Nostra aetate of the Vatican II as the

magna charta of interreligious dialogue14, and affirmed that, this document inaugurated a new season 8 Cfr. Tracy Rowland, Ratzinger’s Faith, pp. 2-3. Cyril O’Regan argues that, the influence of Augustine is seen

especially in five areas of Benedict’s theology: eschatology, relation between faith and reason, biblical interpretation, relation between faith and culture, and prayer and liturgy. Cfr. Cyril O’Regan, “Benedict the Augustinian”, in Explorations in the Theology of Benedict XVI, John C. Cavadini (ed.), Notre Dame, University of Notre Dame Press, 2012, p. 22.

9 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 8 part 1, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, p. 558.10 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2006, p. 12.11 Cfr. Mary Ann Walsh (ed.), From Pope John Paul II to Benedict II, New York, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers,

2005, p. 169.12 Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 1, p. 29.13 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2011, p. 228.14 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 448.


of dialogue and spiritual solidarity between Christians and followers of other great religions.15 He was

also inspired to promote interreligious dialogue by the teachings and example of Pope Paul VI, and in a

special way by Pope John Paul II, his immediate predecessor.16

3) Dialogue with Jews

The papacy of Benedict XVI was marked by frequent and intense dialogue between the Roman

Catholic Church and the Jews. In many of his discourses, homilies, messages and writings one can find

numerous references to Judaism. The Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, which is

attached to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, is the most important structure within

the Roman Catholic Church responsible for promoting dialogue with Jews. Similar commissions or

councils exist within many episcopal conferences, and in dioceses, in different parts of the world. Their

existence and activity demonstrate the Church’s desire to move forward by developing bilateral

dialogue.17 It is also to be remembered that, Benedict XVI was the first person ever to invite Jewish

leaders, both to the funeral of a Pope and, even more significantly, to the celebration of his own

installation as Pope and to address synods of bishops.

a) Factors responsible for dialogue with Jews

There are a number of factors, historical, sociological and theological, responsible for dialogue

between the Roman Catholic Church and the Jews. Some of them are the following:

Nostra aetate

Benedict XVI considered the Declaration Nostra aetate no. 4 of the Vatican II as the most

important factor responsible for the promotion of dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and

Jews in recent times. It provided a solid foundation for dialogue, and clearly outlined the principles that

15 Cfr. Ibid., p. 486.16 Cfr. Ibid., p. 12.17 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 2, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2009, p. 325.


govern the Church’s approach to Christian-Jewish relations.18 On 14 February 2013 while addressing

the clergy of the diocese of Rome, the Pope narrated how Nostra aetate decided to make a declaration

on Jews.19 On 15 September 2005 while addressing the Chief Rabbis of Israel on their visit to Rome,

Benedict XVI affirmed that, the process of building deeper religious relations between Catholics and

Jews received new impulse and energy from Nostra Aetate;20 on 26 October 2005 the Pope in his

message to Cardinal Walter Kasper, the President of the Commission for Religious Relations with the

Jews, affirmed that, Nostra aetate opened up a new era of theological dialogue between the Jewish

people and the Catholic Church.21 He also added that, Nostra aetate has been the occasion for greater

mutual understanding and respect, co-operation, and friendship between Catholics and Jews, and that it

also challenged them to recognise their shared spiritual roots, and to appreciate their rich heritage of

faith.22 On 17 April 2008 the Pope in his the message to the Jewish people on the occasion of the feast

of Pesah (Passover) reiterated that, since the Vatican II, the Catholic-Jewish relations has

fundamentally changed for the better in the past forty years.23 The consequence of all this is that, the

Catholic Church’s commitment to dialogue with Jews has become irrevocable24 and irreversible.25

Example of Popes Paul VI and John Paul II

Another factor that influenced Benedict XVI in promoting dialogue between Roman Catholic

Church and Jews was the wonderful example of his predecessors, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II.

On 9 June 2005 he said: “In the years following the Council, my predecessors Pope Paul VI and, in a

particular way, Pope John Paul II, took significant steps towards improving relations with the Jewish

people. It is my intention to continue on this path.”26 But he did not hesitate to add that, it was his

18 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2010, pp. 235-236. 19 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 9, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, pp. 240-241.20 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 549.21 Cfr. Ibid., p. 717.22 Cfr. Ibid., p. 718.23 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, p. 616.24 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 799; Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 6 part 1, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice

Vaticana, 2011, p. 87; Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 587.25 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 7 part 2, p. 285.26 Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 217. (Italics in the original)


immediate predecessor Pope John Paul II who inspired him more than all others, and therefore, it was

his firm decision to walk in his footsteps.27

b) Rich common spiritual heritage

Benedict XVI maintains that, Christians and Jews share in a big way, in a common spiritual

patrimony, inherited through the Law and prophets.28 Such a rich common patrimony, in many ways,

distinguishes their relationship as unique among the religions of the world.29 On 24 April 2005,

Benedict XVI, in his first discourse as Pope said: “[…] and you, my brothers of the Jewish people, to

whom we are bound by a great common spiritual patrimony, the roots of which are in God’s

irrevocable promises”30; on 12 September 2008 at the Apostolic Nunciature in Paris he said: “By her

very nature the Catholic Church feels obliged to respect the covenant made by the God of Abraham,

Isaac, and Jacob”;31 on 22 September 2011, in Berlin, while addressing the Jewish community he

affirmed: “For Christians, there can be no rupture in salvation history. Salvation comes from the Jews

(cf. Jn 4:22).”32 He also added that, the Sermon on the Mount does not abolish the Mosaic Law, but

reveals its hidden possibilities and allows more radical demands to emerge.33

Christianity has an indissoluble bond with the Jews in the long story of the covenant. Christians

gladly acknowledge that their own roots are found in the same self-revelation of God, in which the

religious experience of the Jewish people is nourished. The Church recognises that, the beginnings of

her faith are found in the historical divine intervention in the life of the Jewish people.34 Both Judaism

and Christianity speak of one God, maker of heaven and earth, who established his covenant with the

27 Cfr. Ibid., p. 718.28 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, p. 89, 91.29 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2007, p. 320.30 Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 22.31 L’Osservatore Romano, 14 settembre 2008, p. 10. (English translation is mine)32 Ibid., Vol. 7 part 2, p. 286.33 Cfr. Ibid.34 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 373.


chosen people, revealed his commandments and taught to hope in those messianic promises which give

confidence and comfort in the struggle of life.35

Christians have the same books of the Old Testament as the Jews, which are revealed books.36

Benedict XVI said that, there is an inner unity between the Old and New Testaments, and one should

read the New Testament with the background of the Old Testament. Otherwise one cannot understand

it at all.37 He even went a step further and stated that, without the Old Testament the New Testament

would not have existed.38 On 9 May 2009, while in Israel, he spoke of the Church’s profound

appreciation for the unity of the two Testaments.39 On 22 September 2011 he said that, there are two

ways of reading the biblical texts, the Christian way, and the Jewish way, in dialogue with one

another.40 Because of this rich common spiritual patrimony, there is an inseparable bond between the

Church and the Jewish people, and consequently, a dialogue based on mutual understanding and

respect is necessary and possible.

Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II, often in their writings and discourses, used the expression

‘elder brothers’ to refer to the Jews. The Jews in general did not like it very much because the word

‘elder bother’ has a bad connotation, and it refers to Esau. Benedict XVI said that, though it is not

wrong to use the word ‘elder brothers’, he preferred to call them ‘our fathers in faith’.41 He also used

other terms to refer to them such as, ‘people of the Covenant’.42, ‘recipients of the First Covenant’,43

35 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 718.36 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 745.37 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 105.38 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 745.39 Cfr. Ibid., p. 755.40 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 7 part 2, pp. 286-287.41 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 106; Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 235.42 Cfr. Ibid., p. 236.43 Cfr. Ibid., p. 157.


‘people of the alliance’44, ‘elected people’45, ‘ancient people of God’,46 ‘predilected brothers’47, ‘good

olive tree’48, ‘holy trunk of the People of God’49 etc.

c) Methods used to promote dialogue with Judaism

Benedict XVI made use of many methods to promote dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church

and the Jewish people. Some of the significant ones are the following:

Initiatives of the Commission for Religious Relations with Jews

The Vatican’s Commission for Religious Relations with Jews is the principal organ of dialogue of

the Roman Catholic Church with Judaism. It was established in 1974 by Pope Paul VI, and came under

the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity. On 26 October 2005 Benedict XVI sent a message to the

President of the Commission for Religious Relations with Jews on the occasion of the 40th

Anniversary of the Declaration Nostra Aetate , affirming his commitment to promote dialogue with

Jews in accordance with the Declaration of Vatican II.50 On 12 May 2009 he spoke of the ongoing

dialogue between the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and the Chief Rabbinate of

Israel’s Delegation for Relations with the Roman Catholic Church.51 During the papacy of Benedict

XVI, the Commission organised numerous dialogue and exchange programmes with different Jewish

leaders and organisations from different parts of the world.

Feast day greetings and visits to Synagogues

44 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, p. 87.45 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 373.46 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 9, p. 241.47 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2007, p. 74.48 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 235.49 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, p. 74.50 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, pp. 717-718.51 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, pp. 798-799.

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Benedict XVI often sent messages to the Jews, or greeted them on the occasion of their important

religious feasts, especially Pesah (Passover)52 and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).53 For example, on

17 April 2008, while in the United States of America, he greeted the Jewish Community for the feast of

Pesaḥ.54 On the following day he did the same in the Park East Synagogue in New York.55 On 9

September 2010 and on 29 September 2011 he wished the Jews on the occasion of Rosh Ha-Shanah

(Jewish New Year), of Yom Kippur, and of Sukkot (feast of Booths or Tabernacles).56 He visited

synagogues during some of his pastoral visits. For example, on 19 August 2005 he visited a synagogue

at Roonstrasse, in Cologne, which was the first papal visit to a Jewish synagogue in Germany.57 On 18

April 2008 he visited the Park East Synagogue in New York.58 It was an outreach to the largest Jewish

community in the world outside of Israel. On 17 January 2010 he visited the Great Synagogue (Tempio

Maggiore) of the Jews in Rome.59 It is said that Benedict XVI was the third Pope to do so after St.

Peter the Apostle, and John Paul II.

Meeting with Jewish religious leaders

Sending messages to or meeting with Jewish religious leaders, representatives and organisations

from different parts of the world, was another method used by Benedict XVI to promote Christian-

Jewish dialogue. For example, on 30 April 2005 he sent a message to Rabbi Elio Toaff, retired leader

of the Rabbis of Rome, on the occasion of his 90th birthday. In his message he affirmed the need for

continuous dialogue between Christians and Jews;60 on 15 September 2005 he addressed the Chief

Rabbis of Israel on their visit to Rome, and said: “I see your visit as a step forward in the process of

52 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, p. 616; Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 238.53 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 6 part 2, p. 169; Ibid., p. 226; Ibid., Vol. 7 part 2, p. 362. 54 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, pp. 614-617. 55 Cfr. Ibid., p. 630.56 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 169; Ibid., Vol. 7 part 2, p. 362.57 Cf. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 230; Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 1, pp. 429-431.58 Cf. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 238; Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 1, p. 695.59 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 247; Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 6 part 1, p. 86.60 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 42.

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building deeper religious relations between Catholics and Jews”;61 on 16 January 2006 he addressed

Riccardo Di Segni, the chief Rabbi of Rome. He said: “The Catholic Church is close to you and is your

friend. Yes, we love you and we cannot fail to love you”;62 on 16 March 2006 he met with the

Delegates of the American Jewish Committee;63 on 3 May 2010, on the 95th birthday Rabbi Elio Toaff,

he sent a message of congratulations.64 It was read aloud by the personal secretary of the Pope during

the inaugural ceremony of the Elio Toaff Foundation for Jewish Culture; on 8 October 2007 he had a

meeting with Ronald Lauder, the leader of the Jewish World Congress.65 Three years later, on 11

December 2010, the leadership of the same organization was again received by him in a private

audience at the Vatican;66 on 18 April 2008 he met with the representatives of the Jewish community in

New York, and encouraged them to continue building bridges of friendship with all;67 on 18 July 2008

in Sydney, Australia, he met with Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence;68 on 12 September 2008 in Paris he

addressed the French Jewish Community;69 on 6 October 2008 Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen of Israel

became the first ever Rabbi to speak before a Synod of Bishops at the Vatican;70 on 12 February 2009

he addressed the Delegates of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations;71

on 14 May 2009, in Israel, he spoke to the leaders of various religions, including Christians, Jews,

Muslims and Druze and others;72 on 12 May 2009 he met with the two chief Rabbis of Israel in

Jerusalem;73 on 17 January 2010 in the Great Synagogue (Tempo Maggiore) of Rome he met with the

chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni of the Jewish community of Rome, the President of the Union of Italian

61 Ibid., p. 549.62 Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, p. 74. (English translation is mine)63 Cfr. Ibid., pp. 320-321.64 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, pp. 627-628.65 Cf. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 237. The World Jewish Congress was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1936.

It is a voluntary association of representative Jewish bodies, committees and organizations throughout the world organized to assure the ‘survival and to foster unity of the Jewish people’. Cfr. Natan Lerner, “World Jewish Congress”, in Encyclopedia Judaica, Vol. 21, New York, Thomson Gale, 2nd edition 2007, p. 221.

66 Cfr. L’Osservatore Romano, 11 dicembre 2010, p. 1.67 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 1, p. 630. 68 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 2, p. 57. 69 Cfr. L’Osservatore Romano, 14 settembre 2008, p. 10.70 Cfr. Ibid., 6-7 ottobre 2008, p. 1.71 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 234.72 Cfr. Ibid., p. 832.73 Cfr. Ibid., p. 798.

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Jewish Communities, and the President of the Jewish Community of Rome, Riccardo Pacifici;74 on 17

September 2010, in England, he met with the chief Rabbi Lord Sacks;75 on 22 September 2011 he

aaddressed the representatives of the German Jewish Community in Berlin;76 on 10 November 2011 he

spoke to the Israeli Religious Council, representing the religious communities present in the Holy

Land;77 on 11 May 2012 he received in private audience the Latin American Jewish leaders from 12

countries. In the second part of his trilogy Jesus of Nazareth (2007) Benedict XVI described Rabbi

Jacob Neusner’s A Rabbi Talks with Jesus (1993) as by far the most important book for the Jewish-

Christian dialogue in the last decade.78

International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee

The International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee79 was formed in 1970 by Pope Paul VI, to

promote dialogue and reconciliation between Roman Catholic Church and Jews, and its first meeting

was in 1971. The papacy of Benedict XVI witnessed three meetings of the Committee: in 2006, 2008

and 2011. .The 19th meeting of the Committee was held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 4 to 7

November 2006, with the theme, “Dignifying the Divine Image”: Jewish and Catholic perspectives on

Health Care with special reference to the HIV/AIDS pandemic”; the 20th meeting was held in Budapest,

Hungary, from 9 to 12 November 2008 with the theme, “Role of Religion in Civil Society today and

the current state of Jewish-Catholic relations in Eastern Europe”; the 21st meeting was held in Paris

from 27 February to 2 March 2011 with the theme, “Forty Years of Dialogue – Reflections and Future

Perspectives.”80 This meeting affirmed the desire of Catholics and Jews to stand together in meeting the

74 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, pp. 86-87. 75 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 226.76 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 7 part 2, p. 284.77 Cfr. Ibid., p. 587.78 Cfr. Benedict XVI, Gesù di Nazaret, part 2, trs. Chicca Galli e Roberta Zuppert, Milano, Rizzoli, 2007, pp. 93.129-

143.79 It is composed of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations and the Roman Catholic

Church’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.80 Cfr. http://www.ccjr.us/dialogika-resources/documents-and-statements/interreligious/ilc/1069-ilchistory (Accessed on

2 January 2015)

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immense challenge facing their communities in a rapidly changing world, and their shared religious

duty to combat poverty, injustice, discrimination and the denial of universal human rights.81

International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultation

International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultation is a broad based coalition of Jewish

organizations and denominations that represents the world of Jews, and its relations with other world

religions.82 On 9 June 2005 Benedict XVI met with the representatives of this organisation, and on that

occasion he said that, the history of relations between the Jews and Christians has been complex and

often painful, and yet they share a common ‘spiritual patrimony’, which is a source of wisdom and

inspiration capable of guiding them towards ‘a future of hope’. He assured them that, the Catholic

Church remains firmly committed in her catechesis, and in every aspect of her life, to implementing the

decisive teaching of Nostra aetae on Christian-Jewish relations.83 Three years later, on 30 October

2008, he addressed the delegates of the same organisation. In his message to them he said that,

Christians today are increasingly conscious of the spiritual patrimony they share with the Jews, which

calls for greater mutual appreciation, respect and love.84

Bilateral commission of the Vatican and Chief Rabbinate of Israel

The Bilateral Commission of the Holy See and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel85 is another organ that

promotes dialogue between Roman Catholic Church and Jews. Benedict XVI had very good relations

with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, which helped to improve relations between the Jews and the Roman

81 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 7 part 1, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2012, p. 637.82 It represents Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Jewish movements, the Anti-Defamation League, the American

Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith International, the Israel Jewish Council for Interreligious Relations, and the World Jewish Congress. It was founded to cultivate relations with other international religious bodies. Cfr. http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/messages-to-the-assembly/greetings-from-international-jewish-committee-on-interreligious-consultations (Accessed on 12 January 2015)

83 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 1, pp. 216-217.84 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 2, pp. 583-584. 85 The Bilateral (Mixed) Commission of the Holy See and Chief Rabbinate of Israel was established as the fruit of the

visit of Pope John Paul II to Israel in 2000. Since 2003 the members meet annually within the framework of an interreligious dialogue between the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews. Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 372.

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Catholics. The meeting of the above Commission has been taking place on an annual basis since 2003,

in Jerusalem and in the Vatican, respectively, with specific themes for study, after which they made a

joint declaration.86 In addition to these formal meetings, there were also frequent meetings between

Benedict XVI and the chief Rabbinate of Israel. For example, on 15 September 2005 he received in

audience at Castel Gandolfo the two Chief Rabbis of Israel;87on 21 October 2007 he was in Naples to

participate in the International Interreligious meet for peace, where he met with the chief Rabbi Yona

Metzger;88 on 28 January 2009 the context of the controversy over bishop Richard Williamson89,

Benedict XVI in his general audience reiterated his condemnation of anti-Semitism and holocaust

denial, and gave assurances that these would not be tolerated in the Catholic Church.90 During his visit

to Israel, on 12 May 2009, he was officially received by the Chief Rabbis of Israel at Hechal Shlomo

(Residence of Solomon) Centre, Jerusalem.91 When Benedict XVI resigned as Pope on 28 February

2013, Israel’s Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger praised his interreligious outreach and said that, relations

between Israel and the Vatican, and between the Roman Catholic Church and the Chief Rabbinate, had

never been better as during his papacy.92

Anti-Defamation League

The Jewish Anti-Defamation League93 appreciated Benedict XVI’s great sensitivity to Jewish

history, the holocaust, and efforts at promoting dialogue between Judaism and Roman Catholic Church.

86 For example, the theme of the meeting of the Commission in 2005 was, forty years of Nostra Aetate and the present and future perspectives; in 2006 it discussed the relationship between human life and technology; in 2007 it studied the theme of freedom of religion and conscience and its limits; in 2010 the theme was Catholic and Jewish teaching on creation and the environment; in 2011 it dealt with the challenges that modern secular society faces and the role of religion; in 2012 the theme was on the religious perspectives on the current financial crisis and a just economic order. It also happened that, when tensions arose between the Vatican and the Jews, the meetings were sometimes suspended or cancelled.

87 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 1, pp. 549-550.88 Cf. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 237.89 See below for a discussion on this case.90 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 157.91 Cfr. Ibid., p. 798.92 Cfr. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4343944,00.html (Accessed on 4 January 2015)93 The Anti-Defamation League (originally ‘The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith’) was founded in 1913 in

reaction to the crude and overt anti-Semitism of the period. Its goal, as stated in the charter, is to ‘end the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all citizens’. Cfr. Jerome Chanes, “Anti-Defamation League”, in Encyclopedia Judaica, Vol. 2, New York, Thomson Gale, 2nd edition 2007, p. 194.

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On 12 October 2006, while addressing the delegation of the League in the Vatican, Benedict XVI

referred to Nostra aetate, and said that, the Jewish roots of Christianity oblige both Christians and Jews

to overcome the conflicts of the past and create new bonds of friendship and collaboration. He assured

them that, the Catholic Church deplores all forms of hatred or persecution directed against the Jews,

and all displays of anti-Semitism, at any time, and from any source.94 On 3 November 2010, during the

general audience he greeted the same League.95 He also promised the members of the organisation of

his continued commitment to condemn all forms of anti-Semitism.

B’nai B’rith International

B’nai B’rith (‘Sons of the Covenant’), is a Jewish service organization founded in New York in

1843. It engages in educational and philanthropic programmes in the areas of youth work, adult

education, senior citizens’ service, civic projects, international affairs and aid to Israel, among others.

Its Anti-Defamation League was established in 1913 and the Hillel Foundation in 1923. In 1990 B’nai

B’rith International admitted women into fill membership.96 On 18 December 2006 a delegation from

B’nai B’rith International visited the Vatican. On that occasion, Benedict XVI said that, the rich

heritage of faith which enables both the Jewish and Christian communities not only to enter into

dialogue, but also to be partners in working together for the good of the human family. 97 On 12 May

2011 he addressed another delegation of the same organization.98

Meeting with Jewish Political leaders and ambassadors

Meeting with Jewish political leaders and ambassadors was another important means used by

Benedict XVI to promote dialogue between the Vatican and Israel, and consequently also between the

94 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 2, part 2, pp. 425-426.95 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 743.96 Cfr. John Joseph Dougherty, “B’nai B’rith”, in New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, Washington, Thomson Gale, 2nd

Edition, 2003, p. 446. 97 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 2, part 2, p. 866.98 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 7 part 1, p. 637.


Roman Catholic Church and Judaism. On 17 November 2005, the president of Israel, Moshe Katzav

invited Benedict XVI to visit the Holy Land;99 on 13 December 2006 the Pope met with the Israeli

Prime minister Ehud Olmert, and discussed the situation in Near East and Lebanon;100 on 6 September

2007 he met with the Israeli president Simon Peres;101 on 12 May 2008 he addressed the new

ambassador of Israel to the Vatican;102 on 11 May 2009 Benedict XVI on his visit to Israel was

welcomed at Ben Gurion airport by president Shimon Peres;103 later in the day he met with Peres at the

presidential residence during which political and religious leaders were also present;104 on the same day

he visited the holocaust memorial Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, accompanied by Peres. There, in his talk,

he remembered the six million Jews who perished under the Nazis;105 on 14 May 2009 at Nazareth he

met with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister;106 on 15 May 2009 at the departure

ceremony at Ben Gurion airport, the president of Israel Peres was again present;107 on 2 September

2010 he met with the Peres to discuss peace in Near East, and spoke about Israel-Vatican

relationship.108

d) Themes in Christian-Jewish dialogue

The Christian-Jewish dialogue under Benedict XVI dealt with a variety of issues that covered

matters from theology to politics. Below are given some of the major themes:

Recognition of common human, social, moral and theological values

Recognition of the common values which stand at the basis of Christianity and Judaism are one of

the important themes of dialogue between the two religious traditions. Some of these values are:

99 Cf. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 231.100 Cf. Ibid., p. 233.101 Cf. Ibid., p. 237.102 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 1, p. 773.103 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 780.104 Cfr. Ibid., p. 783.105 Cfr. Ibid., p. 787.106 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 243; Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 832.107 Cfr. Ibid., p. 847.108 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 249.

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respect for human life, defence of life, dignity of the human person, centrality of the family, sound

education of the young, freedom of religion and conscience, social justice, ethical conduct, concern

about moral relativism, relationship between religious and civil authority, promotion of world peace,

reconciliation, spiritual and moral values, importance of the Word of God expressed in Holy Scriptures,

faith in one God, maker of heaven and earth, who established his covenant with the chosen people,

revealed his commandments and taught to hope in those messianic promises which give confidence and

comfort in the struggle of life.109 Speaking about the Decalogue, which is a common value for both

Jews and Christians, Benedict XVI said that, it is a torch of ethics, of hope and dialogue, the guiding

star of morality of the people of God which also illumines and guides the Christians. It is also a great

code of life for all humanity, and sheds light on good and evil, truth and falsity, just and unjust,

according to the right conscience of each person.110 Benedict XVI argued that, these values, which

cover both theology and everyday contact and collaboration, will enable both Christians and Jews to

give a compelling shared witness to the world, to non-believers and to the entire humanity.111 But he

also insisted that, interreligious dialogue, in order that it is objective and truthful, should discuss not

only what is common among them but also their differences.112

Overcoming prejudices and misunderstandings

Another theme in Roman Catholic-Jewish dialogue was removing misunderstandings and

overcoming prejudices113 because both the religions have a long and complex history of these vices.

Hence, basing himself on the foundation laid by Nostra aetate for a renewed relationship between the

Jewish people and the Roman Catholic Church, Benedict XVI stressed the need to overcome past

prejudices, misunderstandings, indifference and the language of contempt and hostility.114 On 15

109 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 1, p. 718; Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, p. 695; Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, pp. 373, 799; Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, p. 82.

110 Cfr. Ibid., p. 90.111 Cfr. Ibid., pp. 89-90.112 Cfr. Ibid., p. 91.113 Cfr. Ibid., p. 87.114 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 718.


September 2005 in his meeting with the two chief Rabbis from Israel he said referring to Nostra aetate

that, God holds the Jews most dear for the sake of their Fathers, and that he does not repent of the gifts

he makes or of the calls he issues.115 As a gesture to overcome prejudice of Christians against Jews, on

5 February 2008 Benedict XVI made changes in the intercession for the Jews on Good Friday

Tridentine liturgy which was in use till 1962, in order to make it theologically more suitable. 116 Again,

in order to clear misunderstanding between the two religions, he made clarifications on the case of

Pope Pius XII117 and Bishop Richard Williamson118 which were topics of much tension between the

Roman Catholic Church and Jews during the pontificate of Benedict XVI.

Reconciliation, friendship and co-operation

Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Jewish people was also aimed at deepening

mutual understanding and co-operation between them.119 Hence Benedict XVI proposed to the Church

a relationship with Jews marked by dialogue, brotherliness and friendship.120 He said that, the Catholic

Church is irrevocably committed to the path chosen at the Vatican II for a genuine and lasting

reconciliation between Christians and Jews. He also acknowledged that, the two-thousand year history

of the relationship between Judaism and the Church has passed through many different phases, some of

them painful to recall. But now that both parties are able to meet in a spirit of reconciliation, they must

not allow past differences to hold them back from extending to one another the hand of friendship.121

On 16 January 2006, while speaking to the chief Rabbi of Rome whom he received in audience, he

said: “[…] we have the responsibility to cooperate for the benefit of all peoples in justice, peace, truth

115 Cfr. Ibid., p. 549.116 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 238. An explanation regarding this prayer will follow below.117 Cfr. Ibid., pp. 134-136. See below for a discussion on this case.118 Cfr. Ibid., pp. 40-41, 148-155, 242. See below for a discussion on this case. 119 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 798.120 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 7 part 2, p. 285.121 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 235.


and freedom in sanctity and love.”122 Benedict XVI had long realised the responsibility and obligation

of reconciliation between the Jews and the Catholic Church. For example, he visited more synagogues

than any of his predecessors; he openly denounced all forms of anti-Semitism or anti-Jewish sentiment;

in Jerusalem he prayed at the Wailing Wall; he was the first Pope to invite Rabbis to address Synods of

Bishops;123 after his installation as Pope, he wrote to the Jewish community in Rome, and when he was

asked whether it was a symbolic gesture meant to convey a basic thrust of his pontificate, he answered

that it clearly was, and that as a German what happened in the Third Reich was a special reason to look

with humility and shame and with love, upon the people of Israel.124

Condemnation of anti-Semitism

Benedict XVI, on several occasions openly and decisively condemned all forms of anti-Semitism.125

He was convinced that, the hatred and contempt for men and women and children that was manifested

in the Shoah was a crime against God and humanity. As Pope he declared condemnation of anti-

Semitism as the official position of the Roman Catholic Church. He said: “The Church is profoundly

and irrevocably committed to reject all anti-Semitism.”126 On 19 August 2005 when he visited the

Synagogue in Cologne, he condemned all manifestation of anti-Semitism and discrimination, and

reaffirmed the importance of tolerance, respect, friendship and peace among all peoples and cultures

and religions;127 on 12 September 2008, in Paris, while meeting with representatives of the Jewish

community he said that, the Church is opposed to every form of anti-Semitism, which can never be

theologically justified, and that anti-Semitic also signifies being anti-Christian;128 on 9 November 2008,

122 Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, p. 74.123 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 105. On the 12th ordinary general assembly of the synod of bishops, 5-26

October 2008, the chief Rabbi of Haifa (Israel) Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen addressed the assembly on 6 October 2008. Cfr. L’Osservatore Romano, 6-7 ottobre 2008, p. 1. Again, on 13 October 2010, during the synod of bishops of the Church in the Middle East, Rabbi David Rosen addressed the bishops. Cfr. Ibid., 15 ottobre 2010, p. 6.

124 Cfr. Joann F. Price, Pope Benedict XVI. A Biography, pp. 40-41.125 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 1, p. 775.126 Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 236.127 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, pp. 429-431.128 Cfr. L’Osservatore Romano, 14 settembre 2008, p. 10.


on the 70th anniversary of the Nazi pogrom against the Jews in Germany (9 and 10 November 1938), he

condemned in strong terms anti-Semitism;129 on 10 March 2009 when he met with the Conferences of

Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations, he spoke against anti-Semitism and the

holocaust.130 Benedict XVI was also worried about the new manifestation of anti-Semitism. For

example, in 2009, while in Israel, he said: “Sadly, anti-Semitism continues to rear its ugly head in

many parts of the world. This is totally unacceptable. Every effort must be made to combat anti-

Semitism wherever it is found, and to promote respect and esteem for the members of every people,

tribe, language and nation across the globe”.131 He had expressed a similar concern earlier on 16

January 2006 when he was speaking to the chief Rabbi of Rome in the Vatican: “[…] how can we not

be pained and concerned over the renewal of manifestations of anti-semitism?”132 On 17 January 2010,

while visiting the Jewish Synagogue in Rome, Benedict XVI as the head of the Roman Catholic

Church, did not fail to ask pardon for all that might have favoured in some way anti-Semitism and anti-

Judaism.133.

Condemnation of Nazi pogrom against the Jews

Benedict XVI was firmly convinced that, the ideology of National Socialism was grounded on a

racial myth.134 On several occasions he described Nazism as an insane neo-pagan racist ideology (eine

wahnwitzige neuheidnische Rassenideologie)135, and Adolf Hitler as a pagan idol (ein heidinishes Idol)

who wanted to be a substitute for the Biblical God.136 On 28 May 2006 while visiting Auschwitz, he

referred to the Third Reich, as a regime that wanted to obliterate totally the Jews from the face of the

129 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 2, p. 645.130 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 242.131 Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 781.132 Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, p. 74. 133 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, p. 88. This was a reference to the statement made by the Commissione per i Rapporti

Religiosi con l’Ebraismo, “Noi Ricordiamo: una riflessione sulla Shoah”, 16 March 1998. Pope John Paul II also made a similar gesture of asking pardon on 26 March 2000 while praying at the Wailing Wall of the temple in Jerusalem. Cfr. Ibid., p. 88.

134 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 7 part 2, p. 285.135 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, pp. 430, 717. 136 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 7 part 2, p. 285.


earth.137 He said the same thing on 12 February 2009: “The rulers of the Third Reich wanted to crush

the entire Jewish people, to cancel it from the register of the peoples of the earth.” 138 On 9 November

2008 he remembered the victims of the pogrom against the Jews on the occasion of the 70 th anniversary

of Reichkristallnacht (‘Crystal night’ or ‘Night of the Broken Glass’) and called for deeper solidarity

with the Jewish world, and offered prayers for the victims.139 He referred to the Nazi pogrom again on

17 May 2010140 and on 22 September 2011.141 On 27 March 2011, during his discourse at the site of the

Ardeatine Cave Massacre, Rome, he said: “What happened here 24 March 1944 is a most grave offense

against God, because it is the deliberate violence of man by man.”142

Condemnation of the holocaust (shoah)

Condemnation of the holocaust occurred frequently in the discourses of Benedict XVI, especially

when he addressed the Jewish community. He described it as a crime against God and humanity and a

case of a blind racial and religious hatred.143 He said: “The entire human race feels deep shame at the

savage brutality shown to your people at that time”;144 “This terrible chapter in our history must never

be forgotten.”145 He also declared that violence committed against one single human being is violence

against all.146

On 28 May 2006 he visited the extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. He said on that occasion:

In a place like this one has no words, and in reality one can only remain in dreadful silence – a silence that is an interior cry to God: Lord, why have you kept quiet? How could you tolerate all these? [….] I am here today as the son of the German people […]: I could not but come here. I had to come. It was and is a duty before the truth and the rights of all the people who suffered, a duty before God, to be here as the […] son of that German people of which a group of criminals occupied the power through false promises in the name of prospective greatness, to recover the honour of the nation and its

137 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, p. 727.138 Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 235.139 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 241; Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 2, p. 645.140 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, pp. 88-89.141 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 7 part 2, p. 285.142 Ibid., Vol. 7 part 1, p. 387.143 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, pp. 157, 236.144 Ibid., p. 235.145 Ibid., p. 236.146 Cfr. Ibid., p. 157.




relevance, with promises of wellbeing also with force of terror and intimidation so that our people could be used and abused as instruments of their mania for destruction and domination.147

On 19 August 2005 when he visited a synagogue in Cologne, he recalled the Nazi concentration

camps, gas chambers and the holocaust;148 on 28 January 2009 he said: “Return to my mind the images

that I gathered on my repeated visits to Auschwitz, one of the concentration camps in which the brutal

slaughter of millions of Jews took place, innocent victims of a blind racial and religious hatred”;149 on

11 May 2009 before the holocaust memorial at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem he said: “I have come to

stand in silence before this monument, erected to honour the memory of the millions of Jews killed in

the horrific tragedy of the Shoah”;150 on 27 January 2010 during the general audience he recalled that,

exactly sixty-five years ago, on 27 January 1945, the concentration camp in Auschwitz was liberated

from the Nazis.151 But he also recalled the help given by many Italian Catholics to Jews, victimised by

the Nazis in Rome, risking their own lives, though many remained indifferent to their tragedy. He then

added that, the Vatican also organised an action of help, often discrete and hidden.152

In the recent past, there have been efforts by some interested persons and groups to deny or minimise

the tragedy of the holocaust. But Benedict XVI found it absolutely unacceptable as it goes against the

truth and objectivity. He said: “It is beyond question that any denial or minimization of this terrible

crime is intolerable and altogether unacceptable”;153 “That appalling chapter of history [Shoah] must

never be forgotten or denied.”154 He also spoke of the imperative of a continued reflection on the

profound historical, moral and theological questions presented by the experience of the Shoah. On 19

August 2005 in his discourse at the synagogue in Cologne he said that, the Catholic Church has a duty

147 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, pp. 724-725. (English translation is mine)148 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 430.149 Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 157. (English translation is mine)150 Ibid., p. 787. But some Jews criticized him saying that in his speech he did not implicate any Catholic guilt for the

holocaust, nor use the words ‘German’, ‘Nazi’, or ‘murder’ nor did he discuss his own personal wartime experience in which he was ‘registered in the Hitler Youth’.

151 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, pp. 126, 128.152 Cfr. Ibid., p. 89.153 Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 236.154 Ibid., p. 848.


to remember the holocaust and to teach its lessons to younger generations who did not witness the

terrible events that took place before and during the World War II.155

Importance of Holy Land and the city of Jerusalem

Benedict XVI in his dialogue with Judaism stressed that, the roots of both Christian and Jewish faith

are to be found in the Holy Land.156 But he also described Israel as the land that is sacred to three great

monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam157, and spoke of the unique status of the city of

Jerusalem for these three religions.158 He argued that, Christians in the Holy Land have long enjoyed

good relations with both Muslims and Jews.159 On 11 May 2009 while addressing the Israeli President,

Shimon Peres, he said: “My friends: Jerusalem which has long been a crossroads for people of many

different origins, is a city which affords Jews, Christians and Muslims both the duty and the privilege

to bear witness together to the peaceful co-existence long desired by worshippers of the one God.”160

On 12 May 2009, referring to Jerusalem he said: “Here the paths of the world’s three great

monotheistic religions meet, reminding us what they share in common. Each believes in One God,

creator and ruler of all. Each recognizes Abraham as a forefather, a man of faith upon whom God

bestowed a special blessing. Each has gained a large following throughout the centuries and inspired a

rich spiritual, intellectual and cultural patrimony.”161 On the same day during the prayer at the Wailing

Wall he referred to Jerusalem as the ‘spiritual home to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike’.162 He also

spoke of the need for a peaceful co-existence between the followers of the three great religions in Holy

Land today, and of the need for religious freedom for Christians living as minority religious group in

155 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 432.156 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 235.157 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, p. 775; Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 550.158 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 781.159 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, p. 774.160 Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 784.161 Ibid., p. 794.162 Cfr. Ibid., p. 797.


Israel (ca. 2% of the population), and the need for dialogue with Jewish communities in order to

enhance it.163

Greater sensitivity in preaching, liturgy and catechesis

Benedict XVI insisted that, dialogue between Christians and Jews should lead to greater sensitivity in

preaching, liturgy and catechesis. On 26 October 2005 he said: “The Jewish-Christian dialogue must

continue to enrich and deepen the bonds of friendship which have developed, while preaching and

catechesis must be committed to ensuring that our mutual relations are presented in the light of the

principles set forth by the [Second Vatican] Council.”164

The papacy of Benedict XVI was marked by great sensitivity to the sentiments of the Jewish people.

For example, in the old liturgy, on Good Friday, there was a prayer for the conversation of Jews. It

asked God to lift the veil so that ‘they [Jews] may be delivered from their darkness’. This prayer has

historically been contentious in Judaic-Catholic relations. In February 2008 Benedict XVI made a new

formulation of this prayer. But at the same time, he did not hesitate to affirm that, there is only one

saviour, Jesus Christ, and that he is also the saviour of the Jews.165

In March 2011, when the third part of Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth was released, he received

praise from many Jewish organizations for his repudiation of the claim that, the Jewish people were

responsible for the death of Jesus. Though the Vatican II document Nostra aetate had already rejected

the claim in general terms in 1965, Benedict XVI in his book employed a thorough scholarly analysis

of the Catholic teaching on this, and clearly drew the conclusion based on scripture.166

163 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, p. 983.164 Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 718.165 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 133.166 Cfr. Benedict XVI, Gesù di Nazaret, part 3, tr. Ingrid Stampa, Vaticano, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2011, pp. 208-

212.


e) Some controversial issues with Jews

Benedict XVI did not always enjoy good reputation among the Jews. He was called “Nazi Pope” by

some of the Jewish websites. But he became the darling of the Zionist-controlled media for, what it

perceived as, being the most anti-Muslim head of the Roman Catholic Church in modern history. The

American Catholic writer and blogger, Joanna Francis, called Benedict XVI ‘Zionist Double Agent’ for

his alleged ‘blind support for the Zionist entity’.167

Society of Saint Pius X

Catholic-Jewish relations suffered a setback when, on 21 January 2009, Benedict XVI lifted the

excommunication of four bishops of the Society of Pius X ordained by French Archbishop Marcel

Lefebvre in 1988 without mandate from the Pope.168 The Society rejects the teachings of the Vatican II,

and consequently all interreligious dialogue with Judaism, and other religions. It is also opposed to

‘dual covenant’ theology. It was alleged that, the society perpetuated the Jewish deicide, and Jewish

world domination plot in its official newsletters and on several of its websites internationally.169

Case of Bishop Williamson

In 2009 Benedict XVI stirred tremendous controversy in Jewish-Catholic relations by lifting the

excommunication of Bishop Richard Williamson of the Society of Saint Pius X, founded by

Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. In 2009 Bishop Williamson, in a television interview in Sweden, denied

the holocaust, and minimized the number of Jews killed by the Nazis. When Benedict XVI lifted the

excommunication, he was apparently unaware of Williamson’s views.170

167 Cfr. http://rehmat1.com/2013/05/07/vatican-ii-and-the-zionist-jews/ (Accessed on 10 January 2015)168 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 242.169 Cfr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI_and_Judaism (Accessed on 12 January 2015)170 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, pp. 148-152; Michael Collins, Pope Benedict XVI, Dublin, Columbia Press, 2010,

p. 187.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI_and_Judaism

http://rehmat1.com/2013/05/07/vatican-ii-and-the-zionist-jews/


Williamson case became an issue especially in Germany. Some Jews in this county accused Benedict

XVI of rehabilitating an active hater of Jews. The German Newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung bore the

title ‘The Pope rehabilitates holocaust liar’;171 Angela Markel, the Protestant German Chancellor

demanded a clear declaration against anti-Semitism from the Vatican;172 the president of the Central

Commission for Jews in Germany declared the dialogue with Catholic Church is to be stopped

immediately;173 Rabbi David Rosen, Director of the International Jewish Committee for International

Consultations said: “we urgently call on the Vatican to reiterate its unqualified repudiation and

condemnation of any Holocaust denial”;174 the Chief Rabbinate of Israel in protest suspended the

meetings of its commission for dialogue with the Vatican.175

The Vatican officially responded stating that, the lifting of the excommunication had nothing to do

with the controversial statements of Bishop Williamson on the holocaust. On 28 January 2009 Benedict

XVI made a clarification about the Williamson case during his general audience and reaffirmed that, he

deplored all forms of anti-Semitism, and called upon all Roman Catholics to follow suit, and personally

declared his ‘full and indisputable solidarity’ with Jews.176 Two months later, on 10 March 2009, he

was obliged to write a letter to all the bishops clarifying that, the pardon was granted solely for the

bishops’ ordination without papal permission, and that it had nothing to do with his anti-Semitic

remarks.177 In the same letter he also affirmed that, his gesture of lifting the excommunication was not a

going back on Jewish-Catholic dialogue or repudiation of reconciliation between Jews and Catholics or

a reversal of the policies of Vatican II.178

Case of Pope Pius XII

171 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 151.172 Cfr. Ibid., p. 153.173 Cfr. Ibid., p. 152.174 Michael Collins, Pope Benedict XVI, p. 187.175 Cfr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Rabbinate_of_Israel (Accessed on 10 January 2015)176 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 242; Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 157.177 Cfr. Ibid., pp. 356-362.178 Cfr. Ibid., p. 357.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Rabbinate_of_Israel


The process of the beatification and canonization of Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) was opened on 18

November 1965 by Pope Paul VI. He was made a Servant of God by Pope John Paul II in 1990, and

Pope Benedict XVI declared him Venerable on 19 December 2009. But his role during the World War

II had been a matter of contention between the Roman Catholic Church and Jews throughout Benedict

XVI’s papacy, and also of earlier Popes. Many Jews believe that, Pius XII turned a blind eye to the

holocaust, and did not confront Hitler’s policies, and many Jewish groups across the world condemned

the attempt to canonize him.179 But in spite of the strong Jewish opposition, Benedict XVI maintained

his support for Pius XII, affirming that, he acted in a secret and silent way because, given the reality of

Nazi regime and its policies, he realized that, it was only in this way that he could avoid the worst and

save the greatest possible number of Jews.180 The Vatican also took a bold step of forming a committee

of historians to publish everything connected to the Vatican’s involvement with the Wold War II, and

what is known as the ‘Jewish question’. What followed were 11 volumes of documents that denounced

the specific allegations of what the Vatican and Pope Pius XII, did and did not do, during the War.181

On 18 September 2008 at the conclusion of the symposium organised by the “Pave the Way

Foundation” in which many eminent scholars participated, Benedict XVI said:

Thanks to the vast quantity of documented material which you have gathered supported by many authoritative testimonies. Your symposium offers to the public forum the possibility of knowing more fully what Pious XII achieved for the Jews persecuted by the Nazi and Fascist regimes […] he spared no effort in intervening in their favour either directly or through instructions given to other individuals or to institutions of the Catholic Church […] When one draws close to this noble Pope, free from ideological prejudices, in addition to being struck by his lofty spiritual and human character one is also captivated by the example of his life and the extraordinary richness of his teaching. One can also come to appreciate the human wisdom and pastoral intensity which guided him in his long years of ministry, especially in providing organised assistance to the Jewish people.182

179 John Cromwell in his book Hitler’s Pope, called Pope Pius XII an anti-Semite while Robert Wistrich argued that he was anti-Jewish for believing in Biblical accusation that Jewish elites were behind the crucifixion of Christ. But the former Zionist Prime Minister Golda Meir was quoted as praising the Pope Pius XII for saving many Jews. Cfr. http://rehmat1.com/2013/05/07/vatican-ii-and-the-zionist-jews/ (Accessed on 10 January 2015). The Yad Vashem Museum in Israel displays a very negative caption on Pope Pius XII as ‘one who did not do enough to help save Jews’. Because of this, in May 2009, when Benedict XVI visited Israel, he refused to go inside the museum. Cfr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI_and_Judaism (Accessed on 12 January 2015)

180 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 2, pp. 354;474. 181 Cfr. Joann F. Price, Pope Benedict XVI. A Biography, p. 14.182 Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 2, p. 354




On 8 November 2008 while addressing the participants of the Congress on “The Legacy of the

Magisterium of Pius XII and the Second Vatican Council”, he defended Pope Pius XII and affirmed

that, the attention is concentrated in an excessive way only to one problem that is treated in a unilateral

manner.183 When Benedict XVI visited the synagogue in Rome, on 17 January 2010, he once again

defended the memory of Pope Pius XII, but without mentioning his name, and pointed out his efforts to

save Jews from extermination, often in way that was hidden and discrete.184

Good Friday payer for Jews

On 7 July 2007 Benedict XVI issued a decree which allowed for wider use of the pre-Vatican II

Roman Missal of 1962.185 It has a Good Friday Prayer for Jews in Latin, one of the several petitions

made on Good Friday in the Roman Catholic service, which many Jews found offensive. Its translation

reads as follows: “Let us pray also for the Jews: that almighty God may remove the veil from their

[Jews] hearts so that they too may acknowledge Jesus Christ our Lord. […] Almighty and eternal God,

who dost also not exclude from thy mercy the Jews: hear our prayers, which we offer for the blindness

of that people; that acknowledging the light of thy Truth, which is Christ, they may be delivered from

their darkness.”186 Some Jewish leaders feared that the revival of the prayer would undo four decades of

progress in Jewish-Christian relations following Nostra aetate, the document that absolved the Jews of

the killing of Jesus, and marked a new period of positive relations between the two religions. In

response to their concerns, on 4 February 2008 Benedict XVI reformulated the prayer in keeping with

the new theological thinking, to be used on Good Friday when the Tridentine rite is used.187 A footnote 183 Cfr. Ibid., p. 635.184 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, p. 89; Michael Collins, Pope Benedict XVI, p. 214. 185 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 236. For the full text of the decree see Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 3

part 2, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2008, pp. 25-29. It is also known as Roman Missal according to the Tridentine rite. It was granted only as extraordinary form of liturgy of the Mass. and not as normal form. It may be recalled that, already in 1988 Pope John Paul II had granted the permission for its use but with the permission of local Bishops. Cfr. Ibid., pp. 25-26.

186 For the Latin text of this prayer see Missale Romanum (1962), Fort Collins, Roman Catholic Books, facsimile reproduction, 1996, pp. 161-162.

187 L’Osservatore Romano published a note issued by the Vatican Secretariat of State informing that, Pope Benedict XVI, on 4 February 2008, amended the Good Friday prayer for the Jews found in the Roman Missal of 1962. Cfr. L’Osservatore Romano, 6 febbraio 2008, p. 1. The new text, translated from the Latin, reads as follows: “Let us also pray

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accompanying the new prayer indicated that, the Latin title Pro conversione Iudaeorum (“For the

conversion of the Jews”) was retained. But even the new formulation met with reservations from

groups such as the Anti-Defamation League

Other issues

Christian mission and Judaism has been a point of contention both between Christians and Jews,

and among Christians themselves. In the past, the conversion of the Jews, at least in principle, was

always encouraged by Christians. Today, the Christian attitudes toward the Jews have changed

considerably. In Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth, part three, in the section entitled “The Time of the

Gentiles” he discusses whether today there should be Christian missionary work aimed at the

conversion of Jews, and seems to answer in the ‘negative’. According to him, the mission of the

Church was directed towards the pagans (ad gentes), as is evident from the mission which St. Paul

received from the risen Lord, and not towards the Jews (ad Judeos). Hence the Church need not be

worried about the conversion of the Jews but wait for the time fixed for it by God.188 On 10 April 2008

L’Osservatore Romano published an article by Cardinal Walter Kasper, in which, he argued that, the

Church does not recognize a mission towards the Jews in an organized and institutionalized way as

some evangelical groups do. What is important is to engage in sincere dialogue, and manifest mutual

respect, in accordance with the teachings of the document Nostra atate. He also added that, the

theological question of mission to the Jews remains to be clarified. But he highlighted the duty of

Christians to witness their faith in Christ to the Jews, especially when engaged in dialogue. Besides, the

for the Jews: That our God and Lord may illuminate their hearts, that they acknowledge Jesus Christ is the Savior of all men. (Let us pray. Kneel. Rise) Almighty and eternal God, who want that all men be saved and come to the recognition of the truth, propitiously grant that even as the fullness of the peoples enters Thy Church, all Israel be saved. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen”.

188 Cfr. Benedict XVI, Gesù di Nazaret. part 3, pp. 55-57.


title of invocation ‘pro conversione Iudaeorum’ (‘for the conversion of the Jews’) has been retained in

the new formulation.189

In February 2009, the Vatican officially protested against a television programme by Israeli

comedian Lior Shlein, who ridiculed the Virgin Mary saying that she was not really a virgin, and that

Jesus could have never walked on water because he was too fat.190

4) Dialogue with Muslims

Dialogue with Muslim world was intensified in the eight years of the papacy of Benedict XVI and it

produced much fruit. It built confidence between Catholic and Muslim communities, and led to co-

operation, particularly in the field of humanitarian assistance and peace building. While not ignoring

the differences between the two religions, and the occasional misunderstandings between the Muslim

community and Benedict XVI, the Pope was convinced that, Christians and Muslims have many things

in common which should be an incentive for them to engage in dialogue. On 25 April 2005, soon after

his installation as Pope, he expressed his special thanks to the Muslim delegates and said: “I am

particularly grateful for the presence in our midst of members of the Muslim community, and I express

my appreciation for the growth of dialogue between Muslims and Christians, both at the local and

international level.”191

Benedict XVI was well aware that, the situation of the Islamic world differs considerably from

country to country. There are nations where Islam is tolerant and where the relationship between

Christians and Muslims is good. In such countries change of religion is possible, and the children of a

189 Cfr. Walter Kasper, “La preghiera del Venerdì Santo per gli ebrei, in L’Osservatore Romano, 10 aprile 2008, p. 10. But this interpretation seems to downplay the universality of the Gospel message. The mandate of the risen Lord was: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mk 16:15). Elsewhere we also come across a precise mandate to go to the people of Israel: “but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Mt 10:6). How to reconcile these Gospel passages and similar, with the above interpretation appears to be a problem.

190 The Israeli government quickly assured the Vatican that it would intervene to interrupt the transmission and get the broadcaster to publicly apologise. Cfr. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/4737648/Vatican-complains-to-Israel-about-blasphemous-TV-programme.html (Accessed on 10 January 2015)

191 Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 1, p. 29.

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Muslim father can be Christians. But there are problems, especially where Islam is a monoculture. He

says that, it is here that dialogue with those Muslims who are willing to dialogue, should be made

intensive, and remain in relationship, which can eventually lead to a change of mentality.192

Benedict XVI frequently appealed to the Christians to enter into dialogue with Muslims, and he

was convinced of its usefulness and necessity. For example, on 25 September 2006 he said:

“Interreligious and intercultural dialogue between Christians and Muslims cannot be reduced to an

optional extra”;193 on 10 November 2006, while speaking to the Bishops from Germany he said that the

Muslims who live in Germany have the right to a humble and convinced witness of Christians of their

faith in Jesus Christ. Hence wherever there is a good Muslim population, Christians should enter into

dialogue with them.194 On 15 May 2006, while addressing the plenary assembly of the Pontifical

Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People on the theme of migration and mobility

from and to countries with a Muslim majority, he said that, Christians are called to open their arms and

hearts to everyone, whatever their country of origin, and dialogue with them, leaving the task of

formulating appropriate laws for the promotion of healthy existence to the authorities responsible for

public life.

a) Factors that influenced Benedict XVI in promoting dialogue with

Muslims

Several factors influenced Benedict XVI to promote Christian-Muslim dialogue. In the first place,

it is Nostra aetate no. 3, which is at the foundation of dialogue of the Catholic Church with Muslims.

In fact, he called this document the magna charta of Muslim-Christian dialogue;195 on 1 February 2007

he referred to this document again while addressing the Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural

192 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 127.193 Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 2, part 2, p. 349.194 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 2, pp. 602-603.195 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 2, p. 348.


Research and Dialogue led by Prince Hasssn of Jordan;196 on 14 February 2013 while speaking to the

clergy of Rome he described the background of how Islam came to be included in Nostra aetate. He

said that, the Council Fathers felt that, a theological statement about the Jewish people was good and

necessary. But they also felt that, if they speak about Judaism, they should also speak about Islam,

because only then there will be a balance. Besides, they realised that Islam is also a great challenge,

and the Church needs to clarify her relationship with it. This was something which, at the time of the

Vatican II, many did not fully understand. But he added that, today everyone knows how necessary it is

to have dialogue with Islam.197 Thus, for Benedict XVI, Nostra aetate remains as the most important

influential factor in promoting dialogue between Christians and Muslims.

Benedict XVI was also influenced by the example of Pope Paul VI, and more especially of Pope

John Paul II, in promoting Christian-Muslim dialogue, and wanted to continue their work. On 25

September 2006, referring to Pope John Paul II he said. “Continuing, then, the work undertaken by my

predecessor, Pope John Paul II, I sincerely pray that the relations of trust which have developed

between Christians and Muslims over several years, will not only continue, but will develop further in a

spirit of sincere and respectful dialogue.”198 On 1 February 2007 he made another reference to Pope

John Paul II who appealed for dialogue between Christians and Muslims.199

b) Methods used for dialogue with Muslims

The Roman Catholic Church uses many methods and means in order to promote dialogue with the

Muslims community. The important ones are the following:

Work of Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

196 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 3 part 1, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2008, p. 145.197 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 9, pp. 240-241.198 Ibid., Vol. 2, part 2, p. 349.199 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 3 part 1, pp. 145-146.


The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has a special Commission for Religious

Relations with Muslims. It was established in 1974 by Pope Paul VI taking into account the

development of closer relations between the Catholic Church and Islam. Ever since this is the main

organ of the Roman Catholic Church in promoting dialogue with Muslims. The Commission frequently

engages in meetings with different Islamic organizations in various parts of the world, and some of

them are: The World Islamic Call Society (Tripoli); The Permanent Committee for Dialogue with

Monotheistic Religions of Al-Azhar (Cairo);200 The Islamic Culture and Relations Organization

(Tehran); The Islamic-Catholic Liaison Committee, etc.201 There are also many other Christian-Muslim

forums for dialogue in different parts of the world under the direction of the above said Pontifical

Council and its Commission.202 The Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies and the various

Pontifical Universities also carry forward dialogue with Islam.203 Benedict XVI on different occasions

stressed the importance of the role of Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in promoting

dialogue with Muslims. For example, on 25 September 2006 he appreciated the role played by the

Pontifical Council for arranging the meeting with diplomats to consolidate friendship and solidarity

with Muslims after his ‘controversial’ Regensburg lecture;204 on 17 April 2008 in the Unites States of

America he referred to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue as the institute that carries

forward the Vatican’s work of interreligious dialogue;205 on 9 May 2009 in Jordan he referred to the

initiatives taken by the Royal Family and the diplomatic community in conjunction with the Pontifical

Council for Interreligious Dialogue to promote dialogue between Christians and Muslims.206

200 The Joint Committee for Dialogue of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Permanent Committee of Al-Azhar for Dialogue among the Monotheistic Religions was established in 1998. They generally meet annually and discuss on themes of common interest to Christians and Muslims.

201 It was a joint committee set up in 1995 between the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and representatives of different Islamic international organizations.

202 Cfr. http://www.rk-world.org/dharmaworld/dw_2010octdecchristian-muslimrelations.aspx (Accessed on 12 January 2015)

203 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 1, p. 613.204 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 2, p. 348.205 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, p. 613.206 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 762.

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Visit to Mosques and greetings on Muslim feast days

Benedict XVI is one of the few Popes who visited mosques on his travels to some of the Muslim

countries. For example, on 28 November 2006, during his visit to Turkey, he visited the Sultan Ahmed-

Mosque (Blue Mosque), and it was the second visit to a mosque by any Pope in history; 207 on 9 May

2009 he visited the mosque Al-Hussein Bin Talal in Jordan;208on 12 May 2009 he visited the Dome of

the Rock in the old city of Jerusalem.209 On 22 October 2006 Benedict XVI sent his ‘cordial greetings’

to Muslims as they celebrated the ending of the holy month of Ramadan;210 on 12 September 2008,

while in Paris, he conveyed to the Muslims his best wishes for the same holy season of Ramadan which

was already underway.211

Addressing Muslims during general audience and on special occasions

It was customary for Benedict XVI to greet Muslim groups present at his general audience on

Wednesdays, or gathered in Rome for dialogue and study along with Catholics. For example, on 6

November 2008, he addressed the participants of the first Catholic-Islamic Forum, established for the

purpose of reducing the tension between both the religions, and promoting dialogue;212 on 20 June 2012

he greeted the members of the Forum of Interreligious Harmony from Indonesia present at the general

audience;213 on 17 October 2012 during the general audience he greeted the Catholic-Muslim study

group;214 on 21 November 2012 he wished the participants of the Conference on Catholic and Muslim

Co-operation in promoting justice in the world.215

207 Cf. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 233.208 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, pp. 760,778. 209 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 243; Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 794.210 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 2, p. 496.211 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 2, p. 271.212 Cf. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 241.213 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 8 part 1, p. 778.214 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 8 part 2, p. 459.215 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 8 part 2, p. 624.


Benedict XVI also frequently made use of his general audiences and meetings with Muslim leaders

to clarify misunderstandings between Christians and Muslims, to condemn certain actions that hurt the

religious sentiments of people, and acts of violation of the religious freedom of minorities. For

example, on 20 February 2006, he condemned in strong terms, the Muhammad cartoons, first published

by a Danish newspaper, and later in other European papers, and called for respect for religious symbols

and religious sentiments of people.216 It was while receiving Morocco’s new ambassador to the Vatican

that he made clear his views on this subject. He said that the Catholic Church is convinced that, to

foster peace and understanding between peoples, it is necessary and urgent that religions and their

symbols be respected. But he also had a rebuke for the Muslims who had risen up in anger over the

cartoons. He reminded them that, intolerance and violence can never be justified as response to

offences, as they are not compatible responses with the sacred principles of religion.Meeting with

leaders and representatives of the Muslim community

Regular meeting with leaders and representatives of the Muslim community was considered by

Benedict XVI as fundamental to progress in Christian-Muslim dialogue. In fact, he met with Muslims

leaders both at the Vatican and on his pastoral visits to different countries. For example, on 18 August

2005, on his arrival in Cologne, he spoke of his desire to meet the representatives of the Muslim

community in Germany217, and on 20 August 2005 he received in Cologne some representatives of the

Muslim community218, and later recalled this event;219 on 8 April 2006 he spoke of the importance of

the Word of God, and stated that, the Muslims are convinced that the Quran is truly inspired by God;220

on 21 October 2007, while he was in Naples for the International Interreligious meet for peace, he met

with Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, Rector of the Al-Azhar university of Egypt;221 on 18 July 2008 in Australia

216 The cartoons were published on 30 September 2005 and the Vatican statement was issued months later on 20 February 2006. This long silence on the part of the Vatican caused initial skepticism among many Muslims.

217 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 416.218 Cfr. Ibid., pp. 445-448.219 Cfr. Ibid., p. 486.220 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, p. 414.221 Cf. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 237.


during the World Day of Youth, he greeted Sheikh Mohamadu Saleem;222 on 6 November 2008 he

received in audience the Grand Mufti of Bosnia;223 on 19 March 2009 he had a meeting with the

representatives of the Muslim community at the Apostolic Nunciature in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and

reasserted the friendship and respect of the Catholic Church for Islam;224 on 9 May 2009, in Jordan, he

spoke of the initiatives taken to promote good relationship between Christians and Muslims;225 on 11

May 2009 in the Interreligious meeting in Israel there were also representatives of the Muslim

community;226 on 12 May 2009 he meet with the Grand Mufti Muhammad Ahmad Hussein of

Jerusalem and other important Muslims leaders;227 on 14 October 2010, during the Synod of Bishops on

Church in the Middle East, Benedict XVI invited two Muslim religious scholars, a Sunni and a Shiite,

to address the synod228, and on 20 December 2010 he recalled the ‘wise words’ of one of them: ‘when

Christians are wounded, we ourselves are wounded’;229 on 23 September 2011 in Berlin he addressed

the representatives of the various Muslim communities.230

Meeting with ambassadors, Kings, scholars and political leaders

Since religion, society and politics are closely linked in Islam, Benedict XVI considered meeting

with ambassadors, Kings, political leaders and scholars as an important means of promoting Christian-

Muslim dialogue. In this regard, mention may be made of the following events: on 16 June 2005 while

addressing the ambassador of Guinea, he spoke of the Catholic Church’s engagement in promoting

understanding between different religions, and expressed the happiness that Muslims and Christians

222 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 2, p. 57.223 “Thursday, 6 November 2008: Address of His Eminence Mustafa Certé, Grand Mufti of Bosnia at the audience of

His Holiness Benedict XVI”, in Islamochristiana, Vol. 34 (2008), p. 261. 224 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 432; Michael Collins, Pope Benedict XVI, p. 193.225 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 762.226 Cfr. Ibid., p. 790.227 Cfr. Ibid., p. 794.228 They were Muhammad Al-Sammak, Political Councilor for the Mufti of the Republic of Lebanon, and Ayatollah

Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Ahmadabadi, professor at the Faculty of Law at ‘Shahid Beheshti’ University, and member of the Iranian Academy of Sciences of Iran. They addressed the synod as special guests on 14 October 2010. Cfr. L’Osservatore Romano, 16 ottobre 2010, p. 11.

229 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 6 part 2, p. 1058. 230 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 7 part 2, p. 293.


work together for the common good of society;231 on 1 December 2005 during his meeting with the

ambassador of Algeria he stressed the importance of dialogue between different religions, and referred

to the good relationship that exists between the Christian and Muslim communities. But he also spoke

of the need to remove ignorance and prejudice, build up confidence, mutual respect, work together in

daily life, and freedom to express one’s faith;232 on 3 December 2005 he welcomed in audience the

president of the Palestinian autonomous territories, Mahmud Abbas, who in turn invited him to visit

Palestine;233 on 11 November 2006 he received in audience the Algerian Muslim philosopher Mustapha

Cherif known for his commitment to battling religious hatred;234 on 28 November 2006, in Turkey, he

spoke to the members of the Directorate of Religious Affairs about the common responsibility which

Christians and Muslims have to promote peace, liberty, social and justice and moral values;235 on 1

February 2007 he met with an interreligious delegation led by Prince Hassan of Jordan. Part of their

work includes making the sacred texts of various religions better known to other faiths;236 on 6

November 2007 he received in audience the King Abdulla of Saudi Arabia, the guardian of the Holy

Land of Islam. It was the first meeting of a Saudi Arabian king with a Pope;237 on 21 February 2008,

while addressing the Serbian ambassador to the Vatican, Benedict XVI said that, Serbia has familiarity

with Islam, and the presence of many Muslims in the region opens up rich possibilities of progress in

interreligious dialogue, and that it is of utmost importance in establishing greater mutual understanding

and respect between peoples and nations;238 on 8 May 2009 during his visit to the Holy Land, he met

with the Jordanian King Abdullah II of Amman.239 On the following day, 9 May 2009, he spoke of the

initiatives taken to promote good relationship between Christians and Muslims in Jordan, and

231 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 238.232 Cfr. Ibid., p. 903.233 Cf. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 231. The Pope also received the first Bethlehem Passport from the Palestinian

President Abbas at the Vatican. The passport is an initiative of the Open Bethlehem foundation which was founded in November 2005. Cfr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI_and_Islam (Accessed on 7 January 2015)

234 Cfr. http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/benedict-xvi-meets-with-muslim-philosopher (Accessed on 8 January 2015)235 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 2, part 2, p. 701.236 Cfr. Michael Collins, Pope Benedict XVI, p. 138.237 Cf. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 237. 238 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 1, p. 286.239 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 747.

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mentioned the interreligious dialogue supported by the Royal Family and the diplomatic community,

and which is sometimes undertaken in conjunction with the Pontifical Council for Interreligious

Dialogue. He also referred to the ongoing work of the Royal Institutes for Inter-faith studies and for

Islamic Thought, the Amman Message of 2004, the Amman Interfaith Message of 2005, and A

Common Word between Us and You of 2007;240 on 13 May 2009, at Bethlehem, he met with Mahmoud

Abbas, President of the Palestinian Territories;241 on 3 November 2010 he sent a letter to Mahmoud

Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, stating that, interreligious and intercultural dialogue is fundamental for

the promotion of peace.242 For Benedict XVI, all these and similar encounters were significant

occasions for promoting dialogue with Muslims.

c) Essential elements of Christian-Muslim dialogue

Benedict XVI in his teachings on interreligious dialogue repeatedly stressed what he considered as

the important elements of Christian-Muslim dialogue. Some of them are: promotion of dialogue of life,

common witness to God, promotion of mutual knowledge, understanding and respect, respect for

human dignity, fundamental rights, religious freedom, rights of minority religious groups, avoidance of

religiously motivated violence, intolerance, promotion of peace, right relationship between faith and

reason, principle of reciprocity, distinction between religious sphere and political sphere, etc.

Promotion of dialogue of life

Benedict XVI considered ‘dialogue of life’ as the first step towards promoting peaceful co-existence

between Christians and Muslims. It is a kind of dialogue in which all can take part and easy to practice.

Dialogue of life implies concern, respect and hospitality toward the other, and it exists where people

240 Cfr. Ibid., p. 762.241 Cfr. Ibid., p. 812; Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 243.242 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 6 part 2, p. 747.


strive to live in an open and neighbourly spirit, sharing their joys and sorrows, their human problems

and preoccupations. All followers of Christ, by reason of their human and Christian vocation, are called

to live dialogue in their daily life, where they bring the spirit of the Gospel into the environment in

which they live and work, be it familial or social or educational or artistic or economic or political.243

On 13 March 2010 Benedict XVI asked the bishops of Sudan in ad limina244 visit to promote co-

operation in practical initiatives, and stress the values that Christians share in common with Muslims as

the basis for that ‘dialogue of life’ which is an essential first step towards genuine interreligious respect

and understanding.245

Common witness to God

Benedict XVI stressed the need for the three great monotheistic faiths to bear common witness to

God. He argued that, Jews, Christians and Muslims are the three great monotheistic religions, and they

should recognize and develop the bond that unites them.246 They have both the duty and the privilege to

bear witness together to the peaceful co-existence long desired by worshipers of the one God. They

should be known and recognised as those who uphold and live the decrees of the Almighty, merciful

and compassionate, and consistent in bearing witness to all that is true and good.247

Mutual understanding, respect and esteem

243 Cfr. Segretariato per i Non-Cristiani, “L’atteggiamento della Chiesa di fronte ai seguaci di altre religioni. Riflessioni e orientamenti su dialogo e missione”, in Enchiridion Vaticanum. Documenti Ufficiali della Santa Sede 1983-1985, Vol. 9, Testo ufficiale e versione Italiana, Bologna, Centro Editoriale Dehoniano, 1987, no. 30; Pontificio Consiglio per il Dialogo Interreligioso e Congregazione per l’Evangelizzazione dei Popoli, “Dialogo e Annuncio: Riflessioni e orientamenti sull’annuncio del vangelo e il dialogo interreligioso”, in Enchiridion Vaticanum. Documenti Ufficiali della Santa Sede 1991-1993, Vol. 13, Testo ufficiale e versione Italiana, Bologna, Centro Editoriale Dehoniano, 1995, no. 42.

244 In the Roman Catholic Church ad limina visit or visit ad limina apostolorum (‘o the threshold [tombs] of the apostles’) means the obligation of residential diocesan bishops and certain prelates with territorial jurisdiction of visiting the tombs of the Apostles, Saints Peter and Paul, in Rome, and of meeting the Pope to report on the state of their dioceses or prelatures. It is generally done every five years. Cfr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinquennial_visit_ad_limina (Accessed on 12 January 2015)

245 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 6 part 1, p. 329.246 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 3 part 1, p. 146.247 Cfr. Ibid., 5 part 1, p. 761.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinquennial_visit_ad_limina


Benedict XVI says that, the history of Christian-Muslim relationship has been often marked by

misunderstanding and conflicts.248 Hence he reiterated the need to promote peaceful co-existence

between the two religious communities249, and envisaged interreligious and intercultural dialogue as

important means for it. But he argued that, authentic dialogue between Christians and Muslims should

be based on truth, and inspired by a sincere desire to know one another better, respecting differences,

and recognising what they have in common.250 Putting into practice the principle of reciprocity is also a

sign of mutual respect and esteem. Dialogue is also meant to promote mutual understanding, mutual

respect and esteem and to fortify the determination to work together for the promotion of the dignity of

the human person.251 Thus dialogue can help to develop brotherhood and esteem between Christians

and Muslims, and with all peoples.252 Therefore, he asked the Conferences of Bishops, wherever it is

appropriate and helpful, to encourage meetings aimed at helping Christians and Muslims to have better

knowledge of one another. 253 He also stressed the need for Christians and Muslims to study their

respective contributions to learning and scholarship and public service.254 On 7 January 2010 he said to

the ambassador of Turkey that, alongside the predominantly Muslim population, the Christian

communities are proud to play their part, conscious of their ancient heritage and of the significant

contribution they have made to the civilisation, not only of Turkey, but also of the whole of Europe.255

Prevention of violence, injustice and intolerance

Another important element of Christian-Muslim dialogue is to find ways and means to prevent

violence, injustice and intolerance in the world, especially among Christians and Muslims. On 20

August 2005, Benedict XVI, while addressing the representatives of Muslims at Cologne, spoke

248 Cfr. Ibid., p. 761.249 Cfr. Ibid., p. 830.250 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 2, p. 702.251 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 447.252 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 2, p. 853.253 Cfr. Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, no. 118, pp. 782-783.254 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 762.255 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, p. 30.


strongly against terrorist acts and violence in the name of religion and religious fanaticism, and the

cruelties in the name of religion. He also stressed the need to respect the rights of religious minorities,

which is a mark of civilization, the centrality of the human person, respect for human life, defence of

human rights, religious freedom, religious identity of others, mutual understanding, promotion of

solidarity, social justice, and the need for interreligious and intercultural dialogue between Christians

and Muslims on which, according to him, depends to a great extent the future of humanity.256

On 26 February 2006 during the Angelus message Benedict XVI referred to the violence between

Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, which resulted in the destruction of churches and mosques, and

violation of the place of religious worship and loss of human lives;257 on 21 October 2007 in his address

to the representatives of world religions gathered at Naples, he spoke against the abuse of religion as a

pretext for violence and terrorism, and insisted that, they should never be justified in the name of

God;258 on 2 May 2008 in his meeting with a delegation of Shiite Muslims from Iran, he spoke of the

importance of avoiding violence;259 on 9 May 2009, addressing the Muslim religious leaders,

Diplomatic Corps and Rectors of the University in Jordan, he exhorted all not to allow ideological

manipulation of religion for political ends, which will result in tension and division and even violence

in society;260 on 2 July 2010, speaking to the new ambassador of Iraq, he described violence as a

cowardly act, and asked Christians and Muslims to choose the courageous path of non-violent witness

to higher values;261 on 29 April 2010 to the bishops of Gambia, Serra Leone and Liberia in ad limina

visit, he said: “In your service to peace continue to promote dialogue with other religions, especially

with Islam, so as to sustain the existing good relations and forestall any form of intolerance, injustice or

oppression, detrimental to the promotion of mutual trust.”262

256 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, pp. 445-448.257 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, p. 243.258 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 3 part 2, p. 491.259 Cf. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 239.260 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 761.261 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 3.262 Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, p. 589.


Promotion of Peace

Benedict XVI affirmed that, in a world marked by conflicts, violence and war, peace is very much

desired, and it is a gift of God for which all must pray without ceasing. But it should also be built by

efforts on the part of the followers of different religions through authentic and sincere dialogue, and

respect for the dignity of every person who is formed in the likeness of God.263 On the day he was

installed as the bishop of Rome he said: “[…] at the beginning of my Pontificate, I address to you and

to all believers of the religious traditions that you represent, as well as to all who seek the Truth with a

sincere heart, a pressing invitation together to become artisans of peace, in a reciprocal commitment to

understanding, respect and love.”264 In his personal letter to the president of Iran Mahmoud

Ahmadinejad on 3 November 2010 he said that, peace is, above all, a gift from God, which is sought in

prayer, but it is also the result of the efforts of people of good will. In this perspective believers of

every religion have a special responsibility, and can play a decisive role co-operating in common

initiatives.265

Right relation between faith and reason

Right relation between faith and reason is an important theme of Benedict XVI in interreligious

dialogue. This he saw as particularly important in dialogue with Islam. On 2 May 2008, the meeting

with a delegation of Shiite Muslims from Iran concluded with a common declaration on faith and

reason in Christianity and Islam.266 On 19 March 2009 he said to the representatives of Muslims in

Cameron: “[…] I believe a particularly urgent task of religion today is to unveil the vast potential of

human reason which is itself God’s gift and which is elevated by revelation and faith.”267 On 9 May

2009 in Amman he referred to the Christian description of God as creative Reason, which orders and

263 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 29.264 Ibid., p. 29.265 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 747.266 Cf. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, p. 239.267 Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 431.


guides the world, and the capacity of the human reason to participate in his reason, and thus to act in

accordance with what is good. Then he said that, human reason, ennobled and humbled by the grandeur

of God’s truth, should continue to shape the life and institutions of nations, in order that families may

flourish, and all may live in peace, and contribute to common good. But he also added that, human

reason needs to be purified by faith so that it is strengthened to resist presumption, and pursue its noble

purpose of serving humanity.268

Respect for fundamental human rights

Another important element in Christian-Muslim dialogue, which Benedict XVI frequently insisted

upon, was respect for fundamental human rights. He considered it as something of utmost importance

for any heathy society, and insisted that, it should be recognised, guaranteed, protected and promoted

by law and in practice.269 He was convinced that, promotion of the dignity of the human person and

their equality is intimately related to this theme. In fact, in the Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini

he asked for a deeper reflection on respect for life as a fundamental value, and on the inalienable rights

of men and women, and their equal dignity.270 On 28 November 2006 he said in Turkey: “Christians

and Muslims, following their respective religions, point to the truth of the sacred character and dignity

of the person. This is the basis of our mutual respect and esteem, this is the basis for co-operation in the

service of peace and esteem between nations and peoples, the dearest wealth of all believers and all

peoples of good will.”271

Right to freedom of religion and worship

Benedict XVI argued that, the right to freedom of religion and freedom of worship are of supreme

importance, since it is they that enable citizens to live in conformity with their transcendent dignity as

268 Cfr. Ibid., pp. 762-763.269 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 3.270 Cfr. Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, no. 118, pp. 782-783.271 Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 2, part 2, p. 702.


persons made in the image and likeness of God.272 On 28 November 2006 in Turkey he said: “Freedom

of religion, institutionally guaranteed and effectively respected in practice, both for individuals and

communities, constitutes for all believers the necessary condition for their loyal contribution to the

building up of society, in an attitude of authentic service, especially towards the most vulnerable and

the very poor.”273 He insisted that, full religious freedom is needed for Christians to make a real

contribution to a nation.274 Freedom to worship is another right of a religious person and a religious

group, because freedom of worship contributes significantly to the common good, and brings social

harmony to all those societies where it is practiced.275 Referring to the situation in Turkey he said that,

though the Catholics are given freedom for worship by the Constitution, the Catholic Church in Turkey

is waiting for civil juridical recognition.276

Benedict XVI said that, there should be continuous commitment on the part of State authorities to

respect basic human rights, not the least of which is freedom of religion. Religions have much to offer

to development, especially when God’s place is recognised in public realm, specifically with regard to

its cultural, social, economic, and particularly its political dimensions.277 On 2 July 2010 referring to

the small minority of Christians in Iraq he said that, they too have a valuable contribution to make to its

reconstruction and economic recovery.278 Therefore, public authorities should ensure the fundamental

human right of religious freedom to people of all faiths, and there should be respect for the rights and

freedom of religious minorities.279 They should recognise the parental right of families of religious

minorities to determine the education of their children without hindrance from the law. Referring to the

difficulties that the Christians of the Middle East face as a religious minority, he said that, they yearn

272 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 3.273 Ibid., Vol. 2, part 2, p. 703.274 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, p. 31.275 Cfr. Ibid., p. 742.276 Cfr. Ibid., p. 31.277 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 2, Vatican City, Libraria Editrice Vaticana, 2010, p. 742.278 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 2.279 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 2, p. 736.


for authentic religious freedom and peace, and for this dialogue is needed with the Islamic and Jewish

communities.280

Distinction between the socio-political order and the religious order

Since Islam as a religion is intimately linked to politics and social life, it can create problems for the

religious minorities that live in an Islamic country. Aware of this problem, especially for Christians,

Benedict XVI insisted that, a clear distinction should be made between the socio-political order and the

religious order, which he considered as important for religions to make their specific contribution to the

common good.281 He also warned that, if such a distinction is not made, it can lead to ideological

manipulation of religion for political ends which will result in tension and division and even violence in

society.282

d) ‘Controversial ‘Regensburg discourse of Benedict XVI

On 12 September 2006, Benedict XVI, delivered a lecture at the University of Regensburg,

Germany, which was a magisterial address, an honour accorded to visiting academics. On that

occasion, he spoke on the theme “Faith, Reason and University – Memories and Reflections” (Glaube,

Vernunft und Universität – Erinnerungen und Reflexionen). During his lecture he quoted the words of

the erudite Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel II Paleologus (1350-1425) to an educated Persian who

professed Islam, on the subject of Christianity and Islam, and the truth of both. What hurt the

sentiments of the Muslims was the quotation that concerns Muhammad. The emperor said: “Show me

just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such

as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”283 The lecture led to a controversy and a

280 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, p. 983.281 Cfr. Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, no. 118; Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, p. 191; Ibid., Vol. 4 part

2, p. 267.282 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, p. 761.283 Ibid., Vol. 2, part 2, p. 259.


strong reaction from the Muslim world.284 Some protests reflected a level of hysteria quite out of

proportion to the text of the Pope’s lecture,285 and a Roman Catholic nun was killed in Somalia.286 It

also negatively affected the relationship in diplomatic, political and at popular levels, and the Church’s

process of interreligious dialogue with Muslims.

On 16 September 2006 Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, released a

declaration explaining the position of the Pope. It said:

[…] the Holy Father did not mean, nor does he mean, to make that opinion [i.e. of Emperor Manuel II Paleologus] his own in any way. He simply used it as a means to undertake – in an academic context […] certain reflections on the theme of the relationship between religion and violence in general [.…The Holy Father] sincerely regrets that certain passages of his address could have sounded offensive to the sensitivities of the Muslim faithful and should have been interpreted in a manner that in no way corresponds to his intentions.287

On Sunday 17 September 2006 from Castel Gandolfo Benedict XVI in his Angelus message

expressed his regret for the reactions, and said that, the text he cited in no way expressed his personal

views: “[…] I wish also to add that I am deeply sorry for the reactions to a short passage of my address

at the University of Regensburg, which was considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims. It was

in fact a quotation from a medieval text, which does not in any way express my personal thought.”288

He also said that, it was an invitation to a dialogue with Muslims: “I hope that this serves to appease

hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to

frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect. This is the meaning of the discourse.” 289

284 For the ‘controversial’ speech in original German see Ibid., pp. 257-267, especially pp. 258-259. 285 For example, on 18 September 2006, outside Westminster Cathedral, United Kingdom, around a hundred Muslim

protestors held banners which included calls for the Pope’s execution, ‘Pope go to Hell’ and ‘Jesus is the slave of Allah’, ‘Islam will conquer Rome’ and ‘May Allah curse the Pope’. The Lashkar-e-Taliba in Pakistan issued a fatwa asking the Muslim community to kill Pope Benedict for his ‘blasphemous statement about Muhammad. Cfr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regensburg_lecture (Accessed on 9 January 2015)

286 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, pp. 232-233. On 17 September 2006, two Somali gunmen shot and killed a 65 year-old Italian nun, Sister Leonella Sgorbati, working at the Austrian-run children's hospital in the city of Mogadishu. Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 2, part 2, pp. 312, 950. For more accounts of reaction from the Muslim world and others see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regensburg_lecture (accessed 9 January 2015)

287 L’Osservatore Romano, 17 settembre 2006, p. 1. (English translation is mine)288 Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 2, part 2, p. 303.289 Ibid., pp. 303-304. (English translation is mine)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regensburg_lecture



A week later, on 20 September 2006, in his general audience in St. Peter’s Square, he made it clear

that, he did not agree with the statement he quoted from the 14th century Christian ruler. He added that,

to the one who reads his text attentively it will be clear that, he in no way wished to make his own the

negative words of the medieval emperor, but wanted to explain that religion and violence cannot go

together, but only religion and reason can.290

On 25 September 2006 at Castel Gandolfo he addressed the diplomats, and specifically addressed the

issue with Muslims. He quoted from Nostra aetate no. 3 stating that, the Church has great esteem for

Muslims, and affirmed his wish to establish friendship with believers of all religions, and particularly

his appreciation for the growth in Christian-Muslim dialogue.291 The situation improved somewhat

following the release on 13 October 2006 of an Open Letter signed by the Grand Mufti of Egypt and 38

Islamic scholars and clerics, representing the eight juridical schools of Islam.292 In it, the signatories

accepted that, the quotation was not Benedict XVI’s personal opinion, although it was clear they

regretted the choice of the citation.293 Three months after the Regensburg lecture, on 28 November

2006, in Turkey, he declared that, he has deep respect for Islam and that he considers it as a great

religious reality with which Christians should remain in dialogue, both at the realm of religion and

culture.294

On 16 January 2008 Benedict XVI said that, his discourse at Regensburg was strictly academic295,

but it was read politically. It dealt with an old dialogue which was intellectual in nature and was not an

attack on the Muslims. But later, he also stated that, due to this controversy, there arose intensive

dialogue between the two religions. But he did not fail to affirm that, Islam has to clear two questions:

290 Cfr. Ibid., p. 318.291 Cfr. Ibid., pp. 348-349.292 For the text of the letter see “Open Letter to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI”, in Islamocrisiana, Vol. 32 (2006),

pp. 291-295. 293 Cfr. Michael Collins, Pope Benedict XVI, p. 131. See below for a discussion on the contents of this letter. 294 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 2, part 2, pp. 700-703.295 In the speech he would have given at Sapienza University of Rome on 16 January 2008 he said: “Nella mia lezione a

Ratisbona ho parlato, si, da Papa, ma soprattutto ho parlato nella veste del già professore di quella mia università, cercando di collegare ricordi ed attualità.” Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, p. 79.


the question of its relationship to violence, and to reason. In fact, this led to an inner reflection among

some of the Islamic scholars.296

Later, the English translation of the lecture was corrected to better reflect the original German text of

Benedict XVI. The corrected translation added the phrase “a brusqueness that we find unacceptable.”297

He also added in a footnote: “In the Muslim world, this quotation has unfortunately been taken as an

expression of my personal position, thus arousing understandable indignation. I hope that the reader of

my text can see immediately that this sentence does not express my personal view of the Quran, for

which I have the respect due to the holy book of a great religion.”298 Here it is important to note that,

Benedict XVI never retracted the statement he made in Regensburg.

Open letter to Pope Benedict XVI (13 October 2006)

On 13 October 2006, one month to the day after Benedict XVI’s Regensburg address, as

mentioned above, 38 Islamic authorities and scholars299 from around the world, representing different

denominations and schools of thought, joined together to deliver an answer to the Pope, in the form of

an open letter entitled, Open Letter to Pope Benedict XVI in a spirit of open intellectual exchange and

mutual understanding, in order to present the true teachings of Islam.

In their Open Letter, for the first time in recent history, Muslim scholars from every branch of Islam

spoke with one voice about the true teachings of Islam.300 The seven points highlighted in the Open

Letter are: 1) correction that ‘there is no compulsion in religion’ (Q2,256) was formulated during the

296 Cfr. Benedikt XVI, Licht der Welt, pp. 123-124.297 In Italian it reads: “in modo per noi incomprensibilmente brusco”. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 2, part 2, p.

318.298 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regensburg_lecture. (Accessed on 9 January 2015) See also the remark given at the end

of the original German text of the Regensburg lecture, published by the Vatican. It reads. “Anmerkung: Der Heilige Vater hat sich vorbehalten, diesen Text später mit Anmerkungen versehen zu Veröffentlichen. Die vorliegende Fassung ist also als vorlaufing zu behalten.” Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 2, part 2, p. 267.

299 For the names of the 38 signatories see “Open Letter to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI”, pp. 295-297. 300 It may be remembered that, on 9 November 2004 appeared the Amman Message signed by 553 Muslim leaders from

more than 80 countries. It was addressed to Muslims throughout the world and aimed at describing what Islam is and what it is not. On 16 November 2005 appeared the Amman Inter Faith Message addressed to Christians and Jews to defuse tensions between Muslims and Christians with the view to promote tolerance, and to establish peace and friendship.



Prophet Muhammad’s Medina era, and not when he was ‘powerless and under threat’, as stated by the

Pope; 2) the Pope said that, in Islamic teaching, God is absolutely transcendent. But this is a

simplification which can be misleading. God has many names in Islam, and among them his “clemency

and mercy” have the greatest importance; 3) with regard to the use of reason, the authors of the Open

Letter say that, there is a harmony between the questions of human reason and the truths of Quranic

revelation, without sacrificing one for the other; 4) ‘holy war’ does not exist in Islamic languages. But

if by it the Pope meant jihad it means ‘struggle’ and it is specifically struggle in the way of God. Pope

said that, Islam was largely spread by the sword, but the Open Letter responded saying that, Islam as

political entity was spread partly as a result of conquest, but much of its expansion came as a result of

preaching and missionary activity. The authors of the Open Letter emphatically agree that, forcing

others to believe is not pleasing to God; 5) the Open Letter questioned the authority of the so-called

experts or references which the Pope cited. They said that, Muslims have not, to their knowledge,

endorsed the experts the Pope referred to, or recognized them as representing Muslims or their views;

6) with reference to ‘new things’ which Muhammad is said to have bought, namely evil and inhuman

things, the Open Letter says that, according to Islamic doctrine, even before Mohammed, all the true

prophets preached the same truth to different peoples at different times: the laws may be different, but

the truth is unchanging; 7) on the relations between Christianity and Islam the authors of the letter point

out that, the two religions have more than 55 percentage of the world population, which makes the

relationship between them a decisive factor for peace.301

Thus began an open intellectual dialogue between Muslim scholars and clerics and Benedict XVI on

the true teachings of Islam. The authors of the Open Letter also welcomed and appreciated the

clarifications made by the Pope on 17 and 25 September 2006, and by the Cardinal Secretary of State

301 Cfr. “Open Letter to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI”, pp. 291-295.


on 16 September 2006, after the wave of protests that issued from the Muslim world, a few days after

Benedict XVI’s lecture in Regensburg.302

Open Letter A Common Word between Us and You (13 October 2007)

One year after the Regensburg lecture, on 13 October 2007, another Open Letter was sent to

Benedict XVI, and other 26 Christian Church leaders303 entitled A Common Word between Us and

You,304 signed by 138 prominent Muslim leaders and scholars305 with an invitation to dialogue, and an

interpretation of Islam. They were drawn from several streams of Islamic thinking, including Sufi and

Wahabi traditions, and from those regarded as more liberal and from others associated with

conservative and political groups, such as, the Muslim Brotherhood306, and came from every major

Islamic country or region in the world.307 It was probably the first significant approach by a prominent

group of Muslim scholars and leaders to Christian leaders, urging dialogue and greater co-operation

between the two religions. The letter marked an appeal for the coming together of Christians and

Muslims around mutual acceptance of the centrality of ‘love of God and love of neighbour.308

The title of the Open Letter – A Common Word between Us and You – is taken from a verse in the

Quran: “Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to a common word between us and you” (Q3,64).309 The

central idea within the letter is an appeal to Muslims and Christians to come together around love of

God and love of neighbour. The letter quotes not only from the Quran but also from the Bible (Deut

302 Cfr. Ibid., p. 295.303 Besides Pope Benedict XVI, the Open Letter was addressed to the Orthodox Patriarchs of the Eastern and Near-

eastern Churches, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the leaders of the Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed Communions, the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, and other Christian leaders. In fact, the list of names concluded with the words “And leaders of Christian Churches, everywhere.…” For the list of the addressees see, “An Open Letter and Call from Muslim Leaders to:”, in Islamochristiana, Vol. 33 (2007) (or “A Common Word between Us and You”), p. 242. (Henceforth referred to as “A Common Word between Us and You”).

304 For the contents of the Open Letter see Ibid., pp. 243 - 255. 305 For the list of the 138 signatories see Ibid., pp. 245 - 261. 306 Cfr. Peter Colwel, Above and Between us. An Introduction and Resource on the Letter A Common Word between Us

and You signed by 138 Muslim Leaders, London, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, 2008, p. 6.307 The scholars came from Saud Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Nigeria, Sudan, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Bosnia,

Turkey and from European based Muslims, including those from Britain, France, Germany and Italy. Cfr. Peter Colwel, Above and Between us, p. 6.

308 Cfr. Peter Colwel, Above and Between us, p. 5. 309 Cfr. “A Common Word between Us and You”, p. 253.


6:4-5), particularly from the Synoptic Gospels (Mt 22:34-40; Mk 12: 28-31; Lk 10: 27-28, etc).310 The

appeal of the letter is that, let love of God and love of neighbour be the common ground for all future

interreligious relation between Christianity and Islam.311 It also states, quoting the Quran that, there

should be no compulsion in religion (Q2,256), and it is clearly related to the second commandment of

love of neighbour of which justice and freedom of religion are a crucial part.312 It further says that,

Christians and Muslims make up more than 55 percentage of the world’s population, and if they are not

at peace, the world cannot be at peace, and their common future is at stake, and the very survival of the

world itself is perhaps at stake.313 Hence, let not their differences cause hatred and strife between them.

Instead, let them vie with each other in righteousness and good works, respect each other, be fair, just

and kind to each other, and live in sincere peace, harmony and mutual goodwill.314 Thus, A Common

Word can give them a starting point for co-operation and world-wide co-ordination, but it does so, on

the most solid theological ground possible: the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet, and the

commandments described by Jesus Christ in the Bible. Thus, despite differences, Islam and Christianity

not only share the same Divine origin, and the same Abrahamic heritage, but also the same two greatest

commandments.315

Peter Colwell in his criticism of the Open Letter says that, A Common Word may be an attempt to

speak to Christians by appalling to the Bible, and not just to Islamic sources, but this does not

necessarily suggest an acceptance of the authority of such texts.316 Some criticised the document for

only addressing Christians. In fact, a different letter was subsequently addressed to Jews. The whole

letter reflects the concerns of the Quran, and mirrors Muhammad’s engagement with non-Christians.

Other religions, such as, Buddhism and Hinduism are not mentioned, probably because they were not

310 Cfr. Ibid., pp. 249-250.311 Cfr. Ibid., p. 254.312 Cfr. Ibid., p. 253.313 Cfr. Ibid., p. 254.314 Cfr. Ibid., p. 255.315 Cfr. Peter Colwel, Above and Between us, p. 8.316 Cfr. Ibid., p. 6.


known to Muhammad.317 It is true that, the importance of love for Christians and Muslims, and the need

to live together in peace and harmony are central points of the letter. But Colwell opines that, since

Islam is a religion with a vast diversity, there will be Muslims who will take issue with the views

expressed in the letter: some will regard it as not going far enough in reaching out to the hand of

friendship with Christians, while others will feel it goes too far in this respect.318

Reply to A Common Word between us and you (19 November 2007)

The Open Letter A Common Word received numerous responses from different persons and

institutions, and gave rise to dialogue, specific initiatives and meetings, all of which aimed at helping

Christians and Muslims to know each another more deeply, and to grow in esteem for their shared

values.319

On 19 November 2007 the Pope responded to A Common Word through a letter signed by Cardinal

Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State. In it deep appreciation was expressed for the positive

spirit that inspired the letter, and the appeal for joint action to promote peace in the world. It said that,

without ignoring or downplaying the differences as Christians and Muslims, they can and therefore

should look to what unites them. It further stated that, the Pope is particularly impressed by the

attention given in the letter to the twofold commandment to love God and ones neighbour, and

proposed four areas of collaboration: human rights, objective knowledge of the religion of the other,

sharing of religious experience, and a commitment to educating the younger generation. Once this is

achieved, it will be possible to co-operate in a productive way in the area of culture and society, and for

the promotion of justice and peace in society and throughout the world.320 The letter concluded with a

communication that Benedict XVI would be most willing to receive His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi

bin Muhammad bin Talal and a restricted group of signatories of the Open Letter chosen by him, and

317 Cfr. Ibid., pp. 6-7.318 Cfr. Ibid., p. 7.319 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 2, pp. 624-625320 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 3 part 2, p. 614.


that, a working meeting could be organised between his delegation and the Pontifical Council for

Interreligious Dialogue with the co-operation of some specialised Pontifical Institutes, such as the

Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, and the Pontifical Gregorian University.321 Later,

Ghazi Ibn Muhammad Talal responded to Cardinal Bertone’s letter on 12 December 2007. In it he

agreed to three of the proposed areas for dialogue, but for unknown reasons he did not mention about

sharing of religious experiences.322

A Common Word remains as a landmark document in Muslim-Christian relations, and it has a unique

potential to stimulate dialogue between the two great religions at the deepest level across the globe.

Many Roman Catholics consider the Open Letter as a positive sign for a greater possibility of dialogue

with Islam, and a wonderful opportunity to come together in order to know and understand each other

better.

e) ‘The First Catholic-Muslim Forum (2008)

Another response of the Roman Catholic Church to A Common Word resulted in the formation of the

first ‘Catholic-Muslim Forum’, designed to promote theological dialogue, established between the

Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the representatives of the 138 Muslim leaders who

signed the Open Letter to Christian leaders.323 Inspired by this letter, the theme chosen for the first

meeting of was: ‘Love of God, Love of Neighbour: The Dignity of the Human Person and Mutual

Respect’. Benedict XVI said that, this theme highlighted even more clearly the theological and spiritual

foundations of a central teaching of both religions.324 The first meeting of the Forum was held in Rome

from 4 to 6 November 2008.325 On 6 November 2008, while addressing the participants of the Forum, 321 Cfr. Ibid., p. 614.322 Cfr. “Here is the Response of His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammd bin Talal to His Eminence, Cardinal

Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State of the Vatican”, in Islamochristiana , Vol. 33 (2007), p. 287.323 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 2, p. 624.324 Cfr. Ibid., p. 625.325 The delegations participating in the meeting was composed of 29 people including experts, religious authorities and

advisers. They dealt with two themes: ‘Theological and spiritual fundamentals on love of God, love of Neighbour’ and ‘The dignity of the human person and mutual respect’. Cfr. Migual Angel Ayuso Guixot, “‘Love of God, Love of Neighbour’: First Seminar of the Catholic-Muslim Forum”, in Islamochristiana, Vol. 34 (2008), p. 261.


Benedict XVI said: “I pray that the ‘Catholic-Muslim Forum’, now confidently taking its first steps,

can become ever more a space for dialogue, and assist us in treading together the path to an ever fuller

knowledge of Truth.”326 Michael Collins, commenting on this event said: “There now appeared at least

one positive outcome from the Regensburg address, as Catholic and Muslims tried to work more

closely together.”327 The second Catholic-Muslims Forum was held in Jordan from 21 to 23 November

2011 with the theme: ‘Reason, Faith and Human Person: Christian and Muslim perspectives’.328

f) Controversy over Benedict XVI baptising Magdi Allam

Magdi Allam (1952-) is an Egyptian-born Italian politician, writer and journalist. For a time he was

the vice director of the leading Italian daily Corriere della Sera, and was distinguished for his criticism

of Islamic extremism. He converted from Islam to Roman Catholicism, and on 22 March 2008 he was

baptized by Benedict XVI during the Easter Vigil service in St. Peter’s Basilica, along with six other

men and women from four continents. Allam took ‘Cristiano’ as his second name. The news travelled

immediately around the world, and comments in the Muslim media were for the most part polemical

against Allam and Benedict XVI.329 In an audio message released on the internet Osama bin laden

accused ‘the Pope of the Vatican’ having a significant role in fighting a ‘new crusade’ against Islam.330

Two striking critical reactions to his baptism from the Muslim side came from important signatories of

the letter of A Common Word: the Italian imam Yahya Pallavacini and the Libyan theologian Aref Ali

Nayed. In criticizing the baptism of Allam, both sidestepped the fundamental question of freedom of

religion, which was even placed at the centre of the agenda for dialogue between the Church of Rome

and the signatories of A Common Word, and Aref Ali Nayed was the true mastermind of the letter and

326 Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 2, p. 627.327 Michael Collins, Pope Benedict XVI, p. 180.328 Cfr. http://www.acommonword.com/catholic-muslim-forum-second-edition-held-in-jordan/ (Accessed on 12 January

2015)329 “The Story of a Convert from Islam, baptized by the Pope at St Peter’s (Rome, 28 March 2008)”, in

Islamochristiana, Vol. 34 (2008), p. 252. 330 Ibid., p. 252.

http://www.acommonword.com/catholic-muslim-forum-second-edition-held-in-jordan/


its effective author.331 Nayed accused Benedict XVI saying that, by baptizing Allam, he was reasserting

in another way the infamous Regensburg lecture.332 Pallavicini stated that, he was embarrassed by the

lack of sensitivity demonstrated by those who wanted to have Allam baptized at St Peter’s Basilica,

which risks generating negative messages, and indicates the Vatican’s political intention to assert the

supremacy of the Catholic Church over all other religions.333 There were also negative reactions from

some liberal Christians. The Vatican replied Nayed affirming that, administering baptism to a person

implies recognizing that, he has welcomed the Christian faith freely and sincerely in its fundamental

articles expressed in the ‘profession of faith’. Welcoming a new believer into the Church clearly does

not mean espousing all his ideas and positions, in particular on political or social topics.334

5) Dialogue with Buddhism

Benedict XVI appreciated Buddhism, and encouraged dialogue between the Catholic Church and

Buddhists. In Verbum Domini he spoke of the Church’s respect for the ancient religions and spiritual

traditions of the various continents because they contain values which can greatly advance

understanding between individuals and peoples. In it he referred to the Buddhist values of respect for

life, contemplation, silence and simplicity.335

On 20 April 2005 the Dalai Lama congratulated Pope Benedict XVI upon his election336, and visited

him on 14 October 2006 in the Vatican City. But the meeting was kept discrete in order not to provoke

further discord between China and the Vatican. Hence the two leaders spoke exclusively on spiritual

331 Ibid., p. 253.332 “Here is the essential of Nayed’s Commentary (March 24, 2008)”, in Islamochristiana, Vol. 34 (2008), p. 254. 333 “The Story of a Convert from Islam”, p. 253.334 “Here is a reply made on Vatican Radio on March 27, by the director of the Holy See press office, Federico

Lombardi”, in Islamochristiana, vol. 34 (2008), p. 254. 335 Cfr. Benedict XVI, no, Verbum Domini, no. 119, p. 783. 336 He wrote: “I would like to express my warm felicitations on your being elected the new Pope. I look forward to

having the honour and pleasure of calling on your Holiness in the near future during one of my visits to Europe [.…] the Tibetan Buddhists, have developed a special and close affinity with Christianity in general and particularly with the Catholics. I look forward to our continued dialogues and interactions.” http://tibet.net/2005/04/20/his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-greets-new-pope/ (Accessed 10 January 2015)

http://tibet.net/2005/04/20/his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-greets-new-pope/



matters avoiding the complex political situation. The Vatican press office did not publish the meeting

among the Pope’s official audience of the day.337

During the general audience on 18 May 2005, Benedict XVI greeted the Rissho Kosei-Kai Buddhist

group from Japan;338 on 14 December 2005, he acknowledged the presence of another group of

Buddhists from Japan at his general audience;339 in another general audience of 13 June 2007 he

welcomed again the Buddhist members of Rissho Kosei-Kai;340 on 23 June 2007 he sent a message to

the Tendai Buddhist denomination on the 20th anniversary of the Religious Summit Meeting on Mount

Hiei in Kyoto in which leaders of different religions were present, and reminded them that peace is gift

from God and an obligation for every individual;341 when he visited the United States of America, on

17 April 2008, he met with representatives of other religions, among whom were also Buddhists, and

later, on 30 April 2008 at Castel Gandolfo, he referred to this meeting;342 on 30 April 2008, during the

general audience, he welcomed the participants of the third Christian-Buddhist symposium meeting at

Castel Gandolfo.343

On 16 May 2008 Benedict XVI sent a message to the episcopal conference of Thailand on their ad

limina visit in which he appreciated the respect of the Catholic community for the Buddhist

monasteries, and the esteem they have for the contribution they make to the social and cultural life of

the Thai people.344 He also spoke of the importance of interreligious co-operation, and called for a

concerted effort to uphold the spiritual and moral values of their people and the need to work together

with the Buddhists for the transmission of tradition to succeeding generations, the articulation of ethical

values discernible to reason, reverence for the transcendent, prayer and contemplation. He said that,

such practices and dispositions serve the common wellbeing of society and nurture the essence of every 337 Cfr. Michael Collins, Pope Benedict XVI, p. 132.338 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 1, p. 118.339 Cfr. Ibid., p. 978.340 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 3 part 1, p. 1083.341 Cfr. Ibid., p. 1176.342 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, p. 695.343 Cfr. Ibid., p. 698.344 Cfr. Ibid., pp. 798-799.


human being;345 on 30 May 2008 he told the bishops of Myanmar in ad limina visit to promote good

will with the Buddhists of their county;346 on 29 May 2008 in his address to the new ambassador from

Sri Lanka he said: “Catholics in Sri Lanka, together with other Christians, are united with many

Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims in the ardent longing for lasting peace in the country”;347 on 6 June

2008 during the ad limina visit of the bishop from Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei he asked them to

promote open and honest dialogue with Buddhists;348 on 12 June 2008 he told the bishops from

Bangladesh in ad limina visit that they should help clergy and lay people to grow in their understanding

of other religions, including Buddhism;349 on 16 December 2010 while addressing the ambassador of

Nepal he did not mention Buddhism by name, but used the expression ‘fellow citizens of other

regions’350, and this naturally included also Buddhists who form over 10% of the population of Nepal.

During the pontificate of Benedict XVI one does not come across frequent dialogue with the

Buddhists, which characterised the pontificate of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. Often in his

discourses and writings, he does not mention Buddhism by name.351 It appears that, his interests were

mainly in dialogue with Judaism and Islam, as it was the immediate concern of the Church in Europe

and the Middle East. In this sense, his attempt to dialogue with Buddhism was rather limited. And yet,

it is a fact that, the Church in Asia cannot take Buddhism for granted, especially in Southeast Asia and

South Asia. North America, Canada and Europe also have sizable Buddhist population, and many in

the Western culture, who are ‘dissatisfied’ with Christianity, are finding Buddhism attractive.

345 Cfr. Ibid., p. 799.346 Cfr. Ibid., p. 923.347 Ibid., p. 908.348 Cfr. Ibid., p. 959.349 Cfr. Ibid., p. 992.350 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 1021.351 There is a widespread tendency among many Western philosophers and theologians to consider Buddhism not as a

religion but as a philosophy or psychology or simply as an ethical way of life. This is largely due to their narrow understanding of religion where the Absolute is conceived as a personal God and creator of the universe.


6) Dialogue with Hinduism

Benedict XVI carried out dialogue with Hinduism, especially through meetings with its

representatives during his pastoral visits to different countries, and through discourses and writings. In

Verbum Domini he appreciated the sense of the sacred, sacrifice and fasting found in Hinduism.352 On

17 April 2008, in the United States of America, he met Radhika Ramana Dasa, a noted Hindu scholar,

and representative of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. On behalf of the Hindu

American community he presented a gift of an “Om” symbol to Benedict XVI;353 on 30 April 2008, at

Castel Gandolfo, when he spoke about his visit to the Unites States, he recalled his meeting with the

representatives of other religions, and mentioned Hindus by name;354 on 6 June 2008 during the ad

limina visit of the bishops from Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, he asked them to have open dialogue

also with Hindus of their respective countries. He added that, through such dialogue they assist their

fellow citizens to recognise the truth of the Gospel and promote a unified vision of the common good,

which in turn should help to foster growth in religious freedom, greater social cohesion between

members of different ethnic groups, and peace and wellbeing of the entire community;355 on 29 May

2008 he affirmed that, the Catholics in Sri Lanka are united with the followers of other religions in the

country in their ardent longing for lasting peace, and mentioned Hindus along with other religions;356

on 12 June 2008 to the bishops in ad limina visit from Bangladesh he spoke of the importance of

thorough preparation of clergy and lay people, first of all by offering them a deeper knowledge of their

own faith, and then by helping them to grow in their understanding of other religions, including,

Hinduism.357

352 Cfr. Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, no. 119, p. 783. 353 Cfr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI#Indigenous_American_beliefs (Accessed 12 January 2015)354 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 4 part 1, p. 695.355 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, p. 959.356 Cfr. Ibid., p. 908.357 Cfr. Ibid., p. 992.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI#Indigenous_American_beliefs


On 18 May 2006, without mentioning Hinduism by name, Benedict XVI told the ambassador of

India of the need to combat all forms of violence and extremism, need for commitment to religious

tolerance and respect, avoidance of discrimination of people on the basis of ethnic or religious

background or social position, protection of the right of the minority religious groups, defence of the

right of each citizen to profess and practice one’s faith, and the need to build bridge between minority

communities and Indian society as a whole. He also referred to the disturbing signs of religious

intolerance which troubled some regions of the country, and the need to reject the attempt of the

government authorities to legislate discriminatory restrictions on the fundamental right of religious

freedom because they are not only unconstitutional but also contrary to the highest ideals of India’s

founding fathers who believed in a nation of peaceful co-existence and mutual tolerance between

different religious and ethnic groups.358 One who is familiar with the recent history of India knows that,

the reference of the Pope was to Hinduism and its nationalist and fundamentalist ideology and the use

of this religion for political ends.

On 27 August 2008, Benedict XVI, during the general audience firmly condemned the violence

against the Christian communities in the Indian State of Orissa by Hindu extremists, and deplored the

assassination of the Hindu leader Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati, after which the violence broke out.

He also referred to the numerous people killed and wounded, the destruction of places of worship,

church property, and private homes, and assured his spiritual closeness to the people so harshly

tested.359

On 16 December 2010, while addressing the ambassador of Nepal, Benedict XVI spoke of the

Nepalese people’s long tradition of tolerance. But he also referred to some incidents of violence against

the lives of Christians and damage to church property.360 Again, here, he did not mention Hinduism by

358 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, pp. 628-629.359 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 2, pp. 202-203.360 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 1021.


name, but simply said: ‘Nepalese Catholics and ‘fellow citizens of other religions’.361 An indirect

reference to Hinduism is implied here since the majority of the population of Nepal (ca, 81.3%) is

Hindu.

One may say that, compared with the space and time which Benedict XVI dedicated to dialogue with

Judaism and Islam, his interest to dialogue with Hinduism, which is the third great world religion by

virtue of the number of adherents it has, was limited. His dialogue consisted, for the most part, of

sporadic references to it in his discourses and writings. In the context of the rising rate of violence

against the Christian minority in India and Nepal – two countries in the world with Hindu majority

population – dialogue with Hinduism cannot be undermined.

7) Dialogue with Indigenous Religions

Benedict XVI made efforts to dialogue with the followers of indigenous religions, and this is

especially evident in his Apostolic Exhortation Africae Munus. In this document he says that, the

Church lives daily alongside the followers of traditional African religions, and therefore, there is need

for a deeper and more accurate knowledge of the traditional religions in order to identify points of real

divergence and to help to clarify the vital distinction between culture and cult. It referred to the Vatican

II, which urged the Catholics to enter with prudence and charity into discussion and collaboration with

members of other religions, and while witnessing to their own faith and way of life, acknowledge,

preserve and encourage the spiritual and moral truths found among non-Christians, together with their

life and culture.362 It also reminded the Christians to avoid practices that are incompatible with

Christian teaching.363

Benedict XVI referred to traditional religions also on other occasions: on 20 February 2006 he

asked the bishops of Senegal, Mauritius, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau to encounter in truth the

361 Cfr. Ibid., p. 1021.362 Cfr. Benedict XVI, Africae Munus, no. 92, pp. 699-700.363 Cfr. Ibid., no. 93, p. 700.


believers of traditional religions;364 on 13 March 2010 he requested the bishops of Sudan to extend the

same openness and love that they show to Islam also to the people belonging to traditional religions;365

when he visited Brazil in May 2007, he made certain statements about traditional religions some of

which sparked controversy. He said that, Catholicism had purified indigenous populations, that the

native populations had been ‘silently longing’ for the Christian faith, and that the proclamation of Jesus

and his Gospel did not at any point involve an alienation of the pre-Columbus cultures, nor was it the

imposition of a foreign culture.366 The then president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, demanded an

apology from the Pope, and an indigenous organisation in Ecuador issued a response which stated that,

representatives of the Catholic Church of those times, with honourable exceptions, were accomplices,

deceivers and beneficiaries of one of the most horrific genocides of all humanity.367 Later, Benedict

XVI during his general audience on 23 May 2007 acknowledged that, it was not possible to forget the

sufferings and the injustices inflicted by colonisers against the indigenous population, whose

fundamental human rights were often trampled.368

On the whole, Benedict XVI’s interest in indigenous religions was marginal. Nevertheless, he was

able to analyse, in some detail, the indigenous religions of Africa, thanks to the African Synod of 2009.

8) Dialogue with other religions

In Benedict XVI’s writings and speeches one comes across scattered references to such religions

as Confucianism, Shintoism, Taoism (Daoism), Jainism, Druze, etc. For example, on 21 March 2007 he

greeted the members of the Shinto religious tradition from Japan;369 on 30 April 2008 he said that, in

New York he had a meeting with the representatives of other religions, which included also Jains;370 on

364 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 2, part 1, p. 206.365 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 1, p. 329.366 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 3 part 1, p. 855.367 Cfr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI#Indigenous_American_beliefs (Accessed 12 January 2015)368 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 3 part 1, p. 901.369 Cfr. Ibid., p. 535.370 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, p. 695.



14 May 2009, while visiting the Holy Land, he made a reference to Druze;371 on 29 May 2009 he

referred to Taoism (Daoism) when he spoke about the bold initiative of Chinghis Khan of Mongolia in

the 13th century to invite Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Daoists to live together on the steppes of

Magnolia;372 he considered Confucianism as an ancient religion and spiritual tradition that contains

values, especially family and social values.373

9) Major trends in Benedict XVI’s approach to dialogue

Though Benedict XVI basically followed the theology of interreligious dialogue envisaged by the

Vatican II, and the magisterium of his predecessors, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, he also

brought into this field his own specific contribution, and thus manifested his originality, creativity and

realism in analyzing certain aspects of the contemporary religious scenario. We can identify the

following trends in his approach to dialogue.

a) Emphasis on the need for both interreligious and intercultural

dialogue

Benedict XVI, very often in his discourses and writings, emphasised the importance of dialogue and

collaboration between various religions and cultures. Probably, he was among the few who understood

the importance of both interreligious and intercultural of dialogue. He argued that, there is an intimate

relationship between religion and culture, and genuine religion widens the horizons of human

understanding, and stands at the foundation of any authentically human culture.374 Besides, today, the

possibilities of interaction between cultures have increased significantly, giving rise to new avenues for

intercultural dialogue, and if such a dialogue is to be effective, it has to start from a deep knowledge of

371 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 5 part 1, pp. 832-833.372 Cfr. Ibid., p. 925.373 Cfr. Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, no. 119, p. 783. 374 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 5 part 1, pp. 431,791-793.


the specific identity of the various dialogue partners.375 This would naturally mean taking seriously

their respective cultures.

The argument of Benedict XVI that, the Church should promote both interreligious and intercultural

dialogue, can be substantiated from the following: on 20 August 2005 in Cologne he said that,

interreligious and intercultural dialogue between Christians and Muslims is a vital necessity;376 on 20

February 2006 to the ambassador of Morocco he spoke of the need for dialogue between peoples and

civilizations, cultures and religions;377 on 12 September 2006 in his ‘controversial’ Regensburg lecture,

there was a strong appeal for both interreligious and intercultural dialogue;378 on 25 September 2006 he

said to the Diplomats present at Castel Gandolfo: “Iinterreligious religious and intercultural cultural

dialogue is a necessity to build a world of peace and fraternity ardently desired by all men and women

of good will”;379 on 12 October 2006 while addressing a delegation of the Anti-Defamation League he

affirmed: “In our world today, religious, political, academic and economic leaders are being seriously

challenged to improve the level of dialogue between peoples and between cultures”;380 on 13 November

2006 he spoke to the Japanese ambassador of the need for dialogue between religions and cultures;381

on 1 February 2007 he received in audience, in his private library, the delegation of Foundation for

Interreligious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue;382 on 15 June 2007 to the participants of the

convention organized on the 25 anniversary of the foundation of the Pontifical Council for Culture he

said that, it was instituted in order to dialogue with all cultures and religions without any distinction

and with all people of good will;383 on 7 January 2008 addressing the Diplomatic Corps of the Vatican

he said that, intercultural and interreligious dialogue is meant to stimulate collaboration on themes of

375 Cfr. Benedict XVI, Caritas in veritate, no. 26.376 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 1, p. 448; Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, pp. 701-702.377 Cfr. Ibid., p. 212.378 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 2, p. 266.379 Ibid., p. 349.380 Ibid., p. 425.381 Cfr. Ibid., p. 616.382 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 3 part 1, p. 145.383 Cfr. Ibid., p. 1091.


mutual interest like, dignity of the human person, search for the common good, building of peace and

development;384 on 30 October 2008 he said to the International Jewish Committee on Religious

Consultations: “In our troubled world, so frequently marked by poverty, violence and exploitation,

dialogue between cultures and religions must more and more be seen as a sacred duty incumbent upon

all those who are committed to building a world worthy of man”;385 on 6 November 2008 speaking to

the new Egyptian ambassador to the Vatican he expressed the desire to develop dialogue and

collaboration between the members of the different cultures and religions;386 on 18 December 2008 he

spoke to the ambassador of Tunis of the real need for cultural and religious dialogue for peace and

stability, and to promote true respect for persons and fundamental rights of people, to build a world of

harmony and to uphold legitimate diversity;387 on 19 September 2010 he said in Birmingham: “[…] I

have been able to meet representatives of the many communities, cultures, languages and religions that

make up British society [...] it also represents a great opportunity to further intercultural and

interreligious dialogue for the enrichment of the entire community.”388

The year 2008 was declared as the year of European intercultural dialogue. Realising the importance

of dialogue between culture and religion in Europe, in December 2008, the Pontifical Council for

Interreligious Dialogue and Pontifical Council for Culture together organised a study. One that

occasion, Benedict XVI said that, initiatives for intercultural and interreligious dialogue should be

promoted, and people should collaborate on themes of common interest, like, dignity of the human

person, search for the common good, building of peace and development, etc.389 Here, indirectly, he

was also asking the ‘secularised’ Europe, to return to a vision of human nature and rationality in which

the religious dimension is not excluded. In this way, a clash of civilizations between the religious and

384 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, p. 38.385 Ibid., Vol. 4 part 2, p. 584.386 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 2, p. 621387 Cfr. Ibid., p. 881.388 Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 273.389 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 4 part 2, p. 763.


the secularised world can be avoided, and a true intercultural dialogue can take place between

civilizations.

Though Benedict XVI spoke of the importance of both intercultural and interreligious dialogue, he

did not equate one with the other, because they refer to two different spheres, one religious and the

other secular. Yet, he wanted them to interact with each other in a healthy way for the good of the

human person and for common good. In fact, in many of his discourses he spoke of them as if they are

two complementary aspects of one dialogue. Intercultural dialogue is important because it deepens the

cultural consequences of basic religious ideas; interreligious dialogue is important because religion is

part of culture, and certain religious values are indispensable for a culture to be truly humanising.

The conviction of Benedict XVI that, there should be greater co-operation religion and culture, led to

his attaching the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue with the Pontifical Council for Culture

on 11 March 2006. He removed the president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious bishop

Michael Fitzgerald, and delegated the direction of the Council to the president of the Pontifical Council

for Culture, Cardinal Paul Poupard.390 This was interpreted by some as devaluing theological dialogue,

and an attempt to place dialogue with such religions as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and others, more

on the level of culture than on the level of religion. But later, the Vatican informed the episcopates of

the various countries that, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue would become

autonomous again, and would again have its own president. Thus by the end of June 2007 Cardinal

Jean-Louis Tauran was appointed as its president of the Council, and he assumed office on 1

September 2007.391

Though the decision of Benedict XVI to attach the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

with the Pontifical Council for Culture, caused some displeasure among certain people in the Church, it

pointed to a great truth, namely, that intercultural dialogue cannot be underestimated, and that

390 Cfr. L’Osservatore Romano, 12 marzo 2007, p. 1.391 Cfr Ibid., 25-26 giugno 2007, p. 1.


interreligious dialogue alone is not enough to find solutions to the great problems facing the world

today. Benedict XVI gave a clue to it on 28 November 2006 when he said: “As men and women of

religion, we are challenged by the widespread longing for justice, development, solidarity, freedom,

security, peace, dignity of life, protection of the environment and of the resources of the earth. This is

because we too, while respecting the legitimate autonomy of temporal affairs, have a specific

contribution to offer in the search for proper solutions to these pressing questions.”392 When seen from

this perspective, the attempt of Benedict XVI to attach the Pontifical Council for Interreligious

Dialogue with the Pontifical Council for Culture can be justified to some extent.

b) Profound understanding of the ambiguity of contemporary Islam

It has been argued by the distinguished Egyptian Jesuit scholar, Shamir Halil Shamir that, Benedict

XVI is probably one of the few figures to have profoundly understood the ambiguity in which

contemporary Islam is being debated, and its struggle to find a place in modern society. At the same

time, he is proposing a way for Islam to work towards co-existence globally, and with other religions,

based not on religious dialogue, but on dialogue between cultures and civilizations, on rationality, and

on a vision of man and human nature, which comes before any ideology or religion.393

Unlike Pope John Paul II for whom dialogue with Islam needed to be open to collaboration in

everything, even in prayer, Benedict XVI aimed at a dialogue with Islam based on more fundamental

issues. He tried to argue that, as a starting point of dialogue with Islam, what counts is not theology,

but the human person and his or her dignity, and fundamental rights. In other words, there are

humanistic foundations to dialogue which are universal and shared by all human beings, and dialogue

should begin there. Once this issue is satisfactory handled, theological dialogue can follow. At the

same time, he did not want to reduce Islam to a social and political phenomenon, and therefore he also

392 Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 2, part 2, p. 702.393 Cfr. http://www.crisismagazine.com/2014/pope-as-prophet (Accessed on 12 January 2015)

http://www.crisismagazine.com/2014/pope-as-prophet


valued the importance of interreligious dialogue with Islam. Here, the basic message of Benedict XVI

is that, in dialogue with Islam there is a hierarchy of values, and they must be respected, namely, the

human person first, and then his religious faith and convictions. According to Benedict XVI, it is in the

misplacement priorities that the ambiguity of Islam lies, which many people who engage in dialogue

with Islam are either not aware of, or not convinced of, or do not want to discuss due to the fear of

hurting the sentiments of Muslims. But Benedict XVI had the courage to spell it out to the Islamic

world with directness and clarity seldom seen among people who dialogue with Islam, inviting

Muslims to make a self-criticism, respect the truth, and establish a sound relationship between faith and

reason. We may argue that, Benedict XVI’s originality and contribution to dialogue with Islam consists

precisely in this.

c) Concern for religious liberty

At the centre of Benedict XVI’s involvement in intercultural and interreligious relations, is the

concern for religious liberty. Among the fundamental human rights, religious liberty enjoys a special

status because it is rooted in the dignity of the person. But religious liberty does not exhaust itself only

at the individual dimension, but realises itself also in the community and society because of the public

dimension of religion.394 On 18 April 2008, while addressing the General Assembly of the United

Nations he said: “Human rights, of course, must include the right to religious freedom, understood as

the expression of a dimension that is at once individual and communitarian.”395 Religious liberty

includes the religious vision in all its dimensions, including ritual, worship, education, dissemination of

information and the freedom to profess and choose religion. The rights associated with religion are all

the more in need of protection if they are considered to clash with a prevailing secular ideology, or with

majority religious positions of an exclusive nature. Full guarantee of religious liberty cannot be limited

394 Cfr. Insegnamenti di Benedetto XVI, Vol. 6 part 2, pp. 980-981.395 Ibid., Vol. 4 part 1, p. 624.


to the free exercise of worship, but has to give due consideration to the public dimension of religion.

Only then can the believers play their part in building up the social order.396

Religious liberty is a condition for search for truth. It is rooted in the very dignity of the human

person itself, and is a way to peace. Benedict XV argued that, ours is an era which is experiencing the

increasing threat against religious freedom throughout the world.397 Today, religious freedom,

especially for religious minorities, emerges as the basic problem in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.398

There are many countries in the world where Christians are deprived of their fundamental rights, and

put at the margins of public life.399 For example, he spoke against the negative reality of lack of

religious freedom for non-Muslims in many Islamic countries400, and the denial of religious freedom to

the Christian minority in some States of India.401 He also openly denounced the denial of religious

liberty in many other countries of the world. In fact, appeal for religious liberty was one of his concerns

in his talks to some of the ambassadors, and public statements on many occasions.

Benedict XVI also spoke against a sophisticated form of denial of religious liberty and the hostility

against religion, noticed especially in Western countries. Sometimes this is expressed in the denial of

religion in history, and in the use of religious symbols that reflect the identity and culture of the

majority of citizens. According to him, these often give rise to hatred and prejudice which is not in

keeping with a serene and balanced vision of pluralism and secularity of institutions.402

The question of religious liberty is closely linked to tolerance. Benedict XVI asked the question

whether right to change of religion is part of tolerance or not, and stated that, it is difficult for the

Muslims to recognise it.403 What he said about Muslims is valid, in lesser degrees, also for Hindus,

396 Cfr. Ibid., pp. 624-625.397 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 3 part 1, p. 1002.398 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 987.399 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 8 part 1, p. 51.400 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 3 part 1, p. 1002.401 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 2, part 1, p. 629.402 Cfr. Ibid., Vol. 6 part 2, p. 987; Id., Licht der Welt, pp. 71-72.403 Cfr. Ibid., p. 125.


Buddhists and others in some countries. Given the numerous cases of violent conflicts in the name of

religion, religiously motivated terrorism, and the persecution of Christians in many parts of the world

where they are a minority, the concern of the Pope regarding religious liberty is likely remain as a

problem that threatens global peace for some time to come. In this sense, Benedict XVI succeeded in

analysing with great acumen the ‘religious question’ which is one of the root causes of the unrest in the

world today.

10) Some critical observations

Basically, Benedict XVI followed the trend in interreligious dialogue set by the Vatican II and the

magisterium of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. But he also introduced novelties, and thus made

his own original contributions to it.

Benedict XVI made a ‘decisive’ contribution to interreligious relations by proposing a dialogue of

‘charity in truth’. A dialogue based on truth is needed to avoid religious relativism. Relativism implies

that there is nothing definitive, and leaves as the ultimate criterion only the self with its likes and

dislikes. Dialogue in truth invites the partners to search for objective truth, and respect it, when

discovered, rather than rest satisfied with subjective views and interpretations regarding the truth. This

constant insistence on truth can be considered as a novelty in his methodology in dialogue.

During the papacy Benedict XVI, his main partners in interreligious dialogue were Judaism and

Islam, two religions with which he was very familiar. He called for a special co-operation between

Judaism, Christianity and Islam because of a common theological foundation they share: all the three

are monotheistic religions; all the three believe in the one God, creator of heaven and earth; all the

three acknowledge Abraham as their common Father. Hence he called upon these religions to dialogue

and co-operate with one another for the common good of humanity, serving the cause of truth, justice,


and peace in the world. One may also argue that, Benedict XVI’s analysis of Judaism and Islam is

deeper than that of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II.

During the papacy of Benedict XVI dialogue with Jews reached its high point, and it is one of his

major achievements. Upon hearing his decision to retire as Pope, the chief Rabbi Yona Metzger of

Israel, issued a statement showering praise on the pontiff. He said: “During his period there were the

best relations ever between the church and the chief rabbinate and we hope that this trend will continue.

I think he deserves a lot of credit for advancing inter-religious links the world over between Jews and

Christians.”404

Benedict XVI, in his dialogue with Islam, manifested his typical characteristic of openness to truth in

charity, affirmation of positive values and declaration of differences. His approach to Islam was direct,

clear, courageous, firm, and without any trace of a desire to please the other by ignoring differences. In

the process he managed to bring out some of the core issues involved in dialogue with Islam, namely,

dignity of the human person, fundamental human rights, religious liberty, rights of religious minorities

in Islamic countries, religiously motived violence and terrorism, need for reciprocity, respect for truth,

and the need for a sound relationship between faith with reason. This can be considered as another

great achievement of Benedict XVI.

Perhaps it is a paradox to maintain that, Benedict XVI’s ‘controversial’ Regensburg lecture of 12

September 2006 resulted in a genuine dialogue between Christianity and Islam. But some Muslim

scholars accused him of having gone back on the positive position taken by the Vatican II regarding

Islam, alleging that, he revived old patterns of Christian-Muslim polemics. But in reality, it did

promote a serious and open dialogue between Christianity and Islam, especially between serious-

minded Islamic scholars and theologians, which never happened in recent history of their relationship.

He also challenged the Muslim leaders to come forward with a more pro-active public stand in favour

404 http://rehmat1.com/2013/05/07/vatican-ii-and-the-zionist-jews/ (Accessed on 10 January 2015)



of the well-being of Christian minorities. In fact, A Common Word, is one of the most significant and

scholarly interfaith initiatives of Muslims in recent times. Hence, providing an opportunity for Muslim

scholars to enter into a serious scholarly dialogue with Christianity should be considered as another

major achievement of Benedict XVI.

Benedict XVI succeeded to a great extent in highlighting the importance of both interreligious and

intercultural dialogue. None of his predecessors emphasized its paramount importance in contemporary

times, as he did. This is another novelty of Benedict XVI, and it is a departure from the conventional

way of considering relationship between religions. In the process, he also indicated some of the limits

of interreligious dialogue.

There are several reasons why both interreligious and intercultural of dialogue are important,

reasonable and necessary:

First, there are religious traditions that are intimately linked to State, politics, social life and culture,

and where a separation between religion and State, or religion and politics, or religion and social life,

does not exist in the strict sense of the term, or it is not practiced in real life even if such a separation is

enshrined in the constitutions of a country. Experience shows that, even if great progress is made in the

field of interreligious dialogue, it has very little positive impact on the political, social and cultural life

of people or nation. What emerges from this experience is that, dialogue with religions cannot be

limited only to a theological dialogue; it must also become a dialogue of cultures and civilizations, and

this goes beyond the strictly religious sphere and enters into the realm of culture.

Second, there are situations in the world where a State is so fully ‘secularised’ that, religion has no

real influence on the political, social and cultural life of people, and consequently religion and State, or

religion and politics never really meet. Consequently, interreligious dialogue has no real impact on the

political or social or cultural life of people or on national life. But if there is scope for intercultural


dialogue, some of the partners in dialogue can also be religious people, so that some space is provided

for an encounter between the ‘secular’ and the ‘religious’.

Third, from a Christian point of view, an exclusively theological dialogue is not possible with non-

Christian religions. For example, with non-Christians, one cannot really discuss the doctrine of Trinity,

Incarnation, Jesus Christ as Son of God and only Saviour and mediator, etc., which are some of the

‘non-negotiables’ of Christianity. This means that, many fundamental doctrines and beliefs of

Christianity cannot really enter into theological dialogue with the followers of other religions. In the

same way, other religions also have their ‘non-negotiables’ that deal with doctrines and practices, and

consequently, the scope of theological dialogue becomes very limited. Besides, real discussions on

theology can take place only among a few. But intercultural dialogue is possible between religions

where one need not discuss strictly theological issues, and people from different walks of life can

participate in it.

Fourth, there are many areas of human life which go beyond the realm of the strictly religious, and

enter into the sphere of human values, ethical principles, politics, social life and culture. For example,

the defence of ethical values, dignity of human life, fundament rights, question of co-existence in the

concrete terms of politics, economy, history, culture and customs, questions of truth, justice, equality,

religious freedom, peace, conflicts, intolerance, violence, terrorism, etc., for which engagement in

interreligious dialogue alone cannot offer solutions. There should also be serious intercultural dialogue,

because many questions lie beyond the sphere of the religious, and enter into the sphere of the human,

social, political, economic and cultural life and international relations. Here, dialogue has to be based

on the centrality of the human person, and it overrides cultural and ideological contrasts, and includes

also people who may not belong to any religion. Hence, the encounter between people has to be a

meeting of cultures and religions, and it calls for both interreligious and intercultural dialogue


For a casual observer, Benedict XVI had a reputation for stirring up controversy in interreligious

relations. But on a deeper examination one can discover that, if genuine intercultural and interreligious

dialogue involves respect for truth, and open and frank discussion also of differences, what he said

about certain religions cannot be interpreted as provocative, but statements of truth and of deep-seated

problems encountered in religious relations.

It appears that, on the whole, Benedict XVI had a cautious approach in dialogue with religions other

than Judaism and Islam. As already seen, during his pontificate, dialogue with some of the major world

religions of Asia and traditional religions of Africa and elsewhere, did not receive much attention.

Although he said that, the very vast continent of Asia is the home of diverse peoples, cultures and

religions of ancient origin, he rarely engaged in a serious dialogue with such religions as, Buddhism,

Hinduism, Confucianism, Taosim, Shintoism, Sikhism, Jainism, and the traditional religions in general.

Besides, he never visited India, which has a Hindu majority population or any country with a Buddhist

majority population. In this sense, it is difficult to see in Benedict XVI the great cultural openness that

characterised Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II.

Even though the papacy of Benedict XVI went through many challenges with regarded to

interreligious dialogue, there was also progress. It may be argued that, as an acknowledged world

theologian, his approach to dialogue was more profound than that of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul

II, and his analysis of the problems related to religion was very accurate and realistic, and he had the

courage to discuss them with the followers of other religions with greatest clarity and directness, and

this makes Benedict XVI’s contribution to dialogue very significant, and even a model for others to

follow.


11) Conclusion

The pontificate of Benedict XVI has left a lasting contribution to interreligious dialogue by bringing

into it his personal charisma as a theologian of great acumen and insight. Right through his papacy he

manifested a genuine commitment to interreligious dialogue, though his style and emphasis differed

from his predecessors. The vicissitudes of his engagement in dialogue, marked by controversies, both

within and outside the Church, show that, the course of interreligious dialogue is not always smooth or

a predictable journey. Benedict XVI was an ardent searcher after the truth, a strong advocate of a

religious faith based on reason, a champion of religious freedom for all, especially for the minority

groups in countries where there is a religious monoculture. He has also shown how important it is to

combine intercultural dialogue with interreligious dialogue for producing lasting fruits in society, and

for holistic human development. Finally, Benedict XVI might emerge as the Pope who consolidated

dialogue with Judaism and took it to the heights, and one who entered into the Islamic world with

boldness in order to dialogue with it with frankness, and exposed in the process, its ambiguities and

internal contradictions, and intellectually stimulated many Muslim scholars to start a journey of serious

self-criticism. In doing this, Benedict XVI has done a great service to both Islam, and to humanity as a

whole. But he will also be remembered as the Pope who invited many controversies in interreligious

relations, and neglected dialogue with the great religions of the East.

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http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/benedict-xvi-meets-with-muslim-philosopher

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4343944,00.html



http://www.rk-world.org/dharmaworld/dw_2010octdecchristian-muslimrelations.aspx



http://www.crisismagazine.com/2014/pope-as-prophet



http://www.acommonword.com/catholic-muslim-forum-second-edition-held-in-jordan/




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinquennial_visit_ad_limina


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI_and_Islam


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Rabbinate_of_Israel