| Beyond the Sound Bites |
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| Wednesday, 03 June 2009 06:18 | |||
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Pope Benedict XVIs recent (8-15 May) pilgrimage to the Holy Land began with a Papal expression of "deep respect" for Islam and a proposal for a three-way conversation among Christians, Muslims and Jews in behalf of peace. Reportage of the pilgrimage, however, was largely out of focus, almost as if filtered through lenses already distorted by inept or biased accounts of Benedicts words, actions, and personal history, accounts such as "politically correct" interpretations of his academic address at the University of Regensburg in 2006, or of unwarranted questionings regarding his intentions earlier this year when he offered reconciliation to a group of schismatic bishops. In addition, some critics said that the Holy Fathers address was too abstract; others complained that he did not recount problems which he had mentioned in earlier talks; still others raised questions about the Holy Fathers history which have been raised many times before, but also adequately answered many times before; and so on. Moreover, some argued that Pope Benedict did not simply rehearse sentiments expressed by his Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, as if the basic theology of the two unquestionably great Pontiffs really differed as to essentials. Meanwhile, of course, Benedict proceeded to reassert, in his own rhetorically magnificent and precise style, the call for reconciliation and peace which he admittedly came to preach like a Joshua following a Moses, as he has been described by some commentators. The reality of the Popes talks belies the scant attention being paid to them by the media. In Bethlehems Mangers Square, for example, Benedict asked that his listeners "become a bridge of dialogue and constructive cooperation in the building of a culture of peace to replace the present stalemate of fear, aggression and frustration Above all, be witnesses to the power of life " And from the Mount of Precipice in Nazareth, in his homily at Mass, the Holy Father called upon all peoples to contemplate the "sacredness of the family, which in Gods plan is based on the lifelong fidelity of a man and a woman consecrated by the marriage covenant and accepting Gods gift of new life" a fundamental truth, which he added, "stands at the foundation of society " Surely one of the most dramatic moments of Benedicts pilgrimage was his talk at the Mosque al-Hussein bin Talal-Amman on 9 May. "Places of worship, like this mosque named after the revered late King," he said, "stand out like jewels across the earths surface. From the ancient to the modern, the magnificent to the humble, they all point to the divine, to the Transcendent One, to the Almighty Muslims and Christians, precisely because of the burden of our common history so often marked by misunderstanding, must today strive to be known and recognized as worshippers of God, faithful to prayer, eager to uphold and live by the Almightys decrees, merciful and compassionate, consistent in bearing witness to all that is true and good, and ever mindful of the common origin and dignity of all human persons, who remain at the apex of Gods creative design for the world and for history." Thus, Benedict concluded, genuine religious commitment, far from "narrowing our minds," as has been alleged, "widens the horizon of human understanding" and "protects civil society from the excesses of the unbridled ego which tend to absolutize the finite and eclipse the infinite," and it "ensures that freedom is exercised hand in hand with truth " Why were these words not reported? There is much, much more, to wisdom than can be captured in sound bites.
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