May 09
POPE Benedict XVI underlined his "deep respect" for Islam yesterday in Jordan, on his first trip as pontiff to an Arab state, and stressed that religious freedom is a fundamental human right.
He also called the church a spiritual force that could contribute to progress in bringing about peace in the Middle East.
Speaking after a red carpet welcome from King Abdullah II and Queen Rania at Queen Alia Airport as he began his eight-day tour of the Holy Land amid strict security, the pope said he came to Jordan "as a pilgrim."
He said his visit "gives me a welcome opportunity to speak of my deep respect for the Muslim community, and to pay tribute to the leadership shown by His Majesty the King in promoting a better understanding of the virtues proclaimed by Islam."
The pope also called religious freedom "a fundamental human right."
"It is my fervent hope and prayer that respect for the inalienable rights and dignity of every man and woman will come to be increasingly affirmed and defended, not only throughout the Middle East, but in every part of the world," he said.
En route to Amman, the pope told journalists that inter-faith dialogue is "very important for peace and so that everyone can follow the tenets of their faith."
The church "is not a political force but a spiritual force which can contribute to the progress of the peace process" in the Middle East, he said.
Queen Rania said in a message posted on the Internet social network Twitter: "Just listened to Pope's speech. Our region so needs a message of Peace." Her office said she registered on http://twitter.com/QueenRania to mark the visit.
Jordan's opposition Islamic Action Front party said earlier this week the pope was not welcome unless he apologised for remarks he made in 2006, which it says targeted Islam.
In a speech the pope had quoted a mediaeval Christian emperor who criticised some teachings of the Prophet Mohammed as "evil and inhuman." He apologised later for the "unfortunate misunderstanding."
Welcoming the pope, King Abdullah urged an expansion of Christian-Muslim dialogue to dispel "divisions."
The monarch stressed the "importance of co-existence and harmony between Muslim and Christian," and warned that "voices of provocation, ambitious ideologies of division, threaten unspeakable suffering."
"We welcome your commitment to dispel the misconceptions and divisions that have harmed relations between Christians and Muslims... It is my hope that together we can expand the dialogue we have opened," the king said.
Benedict's first stop was the Regina Pacis centre for the handicapped in Amman where the crowd sang songs in Arabic and chanted "benvenuto," the Italian for "welcome."
"Friends, unlike the pilgrims of old, I do not come bearing gifts or offerings. I come simply with an intention, a hope, to pray for the precious gift of unity and peace, most specifically for the Middle East," the pope said.
Christians in Jordan number around 200,000 of a total population of about six million.
Benedict sees his first Holy Land trip as pontiff as a pilgrimage.
"I come to Jordan as a pilgrim, to venerate holy places that have played such an important part in some of the key events of Biblical history," he said.
After Jordan he will visit Israel on Monday, and will also go to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday. More ...
Source: The Australian
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