Words Mis-taken

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI quotes a fourteenth century Byzantine Emperor’s writing on the Prophet – on whom be peace – in the decent obscurity of a seminar room in the University of Regensberg: the result, the utterly unfortunate consequence, is that the Muslim world is incensed. Byzantine Emperors were not altogether friendly to Islam, and harsh words were written. Within any religion at any time one may find the same phenomenon.

ut if it is in the family it is all – in the end – forgiven. Between different religions, harsh words should be avoided. One must point out that in a university seminar, quoting immoderate words is not the same as endorsing them. Seeing what was once said is a necessary condition of seeing how the same unfortunate things may be avoided in the future. His Holiness’s goodwill towards Islam is on record. Jesus is an Islamic Prophet: Jesus’s Vicar on earth has shown the most kindly disposition towards dialogue with Islam. Taken out of their seminar context Emperor Manuel II’s words were ascribed – in sense if not verbatim – to his Holiness. This is utterly wrong: this is tragically unfortunate.

In the twenty-first century it is an absolute scandal that we members of the three religions of Abraham are actually killing one another: partly at least in the name of our own Revelations. We are all monotheists. We should worship the one God – in all His Mystery – in brotherhood. We live – with others – on the one planet. Humankind is one Family. Yet Revelation has not led us to behave as it exhorts, ‘Love one another’. We would rather quarrel over the sense of ancient texts than follow the injunction of them all: ‘PEACE!’

Patrick FitzGerald Hutchings
Associate Editor

PS: About the remarks made concerning the whole sad affair by the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr John Howard, and the Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Pell, I follow my own injunction and hold my peace.