Pope expresses shame for Christian violence in history
ASSISI, Italy |
ASSISI, Italy (Reuters) – Pope Benedict, leading a global inter-religious meeting, acknowledged on Thursday “with great shame” that Christianity had used force in its long history but said violence in God’s name had no place in the world today.
Benedict spoke as he hosted some 300 religious leaders from around the world – including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Zoroastrians, Taoists, Shintoists and Buddhists – in an inter-faith prayer gathering for peace in the city of St Francis.
“As a Christian I want to say at this point: yes, it is true, in the course of history, force has also been used in the name of the Christian faith,” he said in his address to the delegations in an Assisi basilica.
“We acknowledge it with great shame. But it is utterly clear that this was an abuse of the Christian faith, one that evidently contradicts its true nature,” he said.
It was one of the few times that a pope has apologized for events such as the Crusades or the use of force to spread the faith in the New World. The late Pope John Paul apologized in 2000 for Christianity’s historical failures.
Benedict, who in his address condemned terrorism, said history had also shown that the denial of God could bring about “a degree of violence that knows no bounds.” He said the concentration camps of World War Two revealed “with utter clarity the consequences of God’s absence.”
The Assisi gathering, held on the 25th anniversary of a historic initiative in favor of peace hosted by John Paul in 1986, this time did not include common prayer among the delegates.
“ALL RELIGIONS NOT EQUAL”
The difference reflected Benedict’s more conservative view of Catholic relations with other religions. In fact, Benedict, who did not attend the 1986 meeting when he was a cardinal, later implicitly criticized it because it implied that all religions were somehow equal.
The 1986 meeting, which took place at a time of the Cold War and conflicts in Lebanon, Northern Ireland and Central America, was billed as a “meeting of prayer for peace.”
Thursday’s anniversary gathering in Assisi, birthplace of St Francis, one of the world’s most universally recognized symbols of peace, was called a “pilgrimage” for truth and peace.
In fact, instead of praying in each other’s presence, as they did in 1986, the delegates were withdrawing to various rooms around the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels in the lower part of Assisi for what the
Article source: PRNewswire
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Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Pope expresses shame for Christian violence in history
ASSISI, Italy |
ASSISI, Italy (Reuters) – Pope Benedict, leading a global inter-religious meeting, acknowledged on Thursday “with great shame” that Christianity had used force in its long history but said violence in God’s name had no place in the world today.
Benedict spoke as he hosted some 300 religious leaders from around the world – including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Zoroastrians, Taoists, Shintoists and Buddhists – in an inter-faith prayer gathering for peace in the city of St Francis.
“As a Christian I want to say at this point: yes, it is true, in the course of history, force has also been used in the name of the Christian faith,” he said in his address to the delegations in an Assisi basilica.
“We acknowledge it with great shame. But it is utterly clear that this was an abuse of the Christian faith, one that evidently contradicts its true nature,” he said.
It was one of the few times that a pope has apologized for events such as the Crusades or the use of force to spread the faith in the New World. The late Pope John Paul apologized in 2000 for Christianity’s historical failures.
Benedict, who in his address condemned terrorism, said history had also shown that the denial of God could bring about “a degree of violence that knows no bounds.” He said the concentration camps of World War Two revealed “with utter clarity the consequences of God’s absence.”
The Assisi gathering, held on the 25th anniversary of a historic initiative in favor of peace hosted by John Paul in 1986, this time did not include common prayer among the delegates.
“ALL RELIGIONS NOT EQUAL”
The difference reflected Benedict’s more conservative view of Catholic relations with other religions. In fact, Benedict, who did not attend the 1986 meeting when he was a cardinal, later implicitly criticized it because it implied that all religions were somehow equal.
The 1986 meeting, which took place at a time of the Cold War and conflicts in Lebanon, Northern Ireland and Central America, was billed as a “meeting of prayer for peace.”
Thursday’s anniversary gathering in Assisi, birthplace of St Francis, one of the world’s most universally recognized symbols of peace, was called a “pilgrimage” for truth and peace.
In fact, instead of praying in each other’s presence, as they did in 1986, the delegates were withdrawing to various rooms around the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels in the lower part of Assisi for what the
Article source: PRNewswire
Related posts:
- Catholics cannot accept gay marriage, pope says
- Analysis: Pope disappoints hopes of Catholics and Protestants
- German pope faces toughest visit to skeptical homeland
- German pope faces toughest visit to skeptical homeland
- Pope tells 1.5 million youngsters to spread gospel
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
