Well to say the least this is historic. I would love to hear what they said in private. If I was Pope Benedict I would go "Uh Since you are building the World's largest Mosque right outside the Vatican How a bout a few Churches for the Christians that yall employ in the Kingdom". However I am not the Pope. Still they have Christian Churches right next door in the UAE.
There has been a fury of news articles coming out about this visit. Instead of posting them all I suggest you go the this thread at the Ratzinger Forum that has a good many of them. They start a little after 3/4th of the way down.
Let me quote a part of an Editorial that is on that thread. It was in the Italian Il Tempo .
But perhaps even the delicate and difficult situation of Christians in Saudi Arabia where, by virtue of a very strict (and to Western eyes, unacceptable) interpretation of sharia, public worship by Christians or other manifestation of Christianity is prohibited in any form. The word 'reciprocity' has been mentioned.
But reciprocity, by nature, can only be practised between analogous juridical and institutional subjects. The Pope, head of Catholicism, cannot ask for any form of reciprocity from the King of Saudi Arabia who, although he is custodian of Islam's most holy mosques, is not the leader of Islam, not even of the Sunnis, who consider him suspect because of his association with the Wahhabis. What about a bilateral accord between the sovereign of Vatican state and the King of Saudi Arabia? This is certainly possible on the juridical and formal level, but on the political and moral level, it seems impossible that the Pontiff could act only as a regular head of state, especially since his state only has 800 inhabitants.
I must say as to that last part I really disagree. If the United States and every one else is sending Counsel to the Holy See why is it now impossible with Saudi Arabia? So I am not buying that. Can the House of Saud make agreements to open Churches in that strange land? Here I must plead ignorance.
I suspect there is a delicate balance between the Wahhabis Sect and the House of Saud. They both are in a delicate dance with each other. However the Crown Prince and Royal Family Dubai and the UAE seem again to be able to enter into this agreements. Of course they do not have custody of Mecca. However it is on the same Peninsula.
Let me add another link that is now just hitting the wires and not in that thread.
Pope Lauds Christian Presence in Saudi- Here are a few excerpts:
Benedict and the Vatican's No. 2 official raised their concerns during separate meetings with King Abdullah, the protector of Islam's holiest sites.The Vatican counts 890,000 Catholics, mainly guest workers from the Philippines, among the estimated 1.5 million Christians in Saudi Arabia. Christians are barred from opening churches in the desert kingdom where Islam's holiest sites, Mecca and Medina, are located."The Vatican authorities expressed their hope for the prosperity of all the inhabitants of the country, and mention was made of the positive and industrious presence of Christians," said the Vatican communique on the meetings, referring in diplomatic language to the religious plight of non-Muslims in the kingdom.........The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said the Vatican hoped the meeting with the Saudi king would produce a "sincere" dialogue on Christian worship in the country.The Vatican said the talks were "warm" and allowed a wide discussion on the need for inter-religious and intercultural dialogue among Christians, Muslims and Jews "for the promotion of peace, justice and spiritual and moral values, especially in support of the family," a statement said.
I am hoping the always insightful Crossroads Arabia will have some links on Arab paper coverage.
I'll be posting more at Crossroads Arabia, but the problem is that there is a hadith (a tradition accepted as a true demonstration of the Prophet Mohammed's acts and words) that says only Islam will be practiced in Arabia and only mosques will be built.
ReplyDeleteThe King would have to take more than a courageous step to permit churches; he would have to go against 1,400 years of accepted religious tradition, passed down by the very Prophet.
Muslims consider the Prophet inerrant, much as the Pope speaking ex cathedra. To go against what he is reported to have said... that's a tough one.
I don't think this is going to change any time soon, unfortunately. It will need a deep reappraisal of Islam by Muslims to happen first.
YEs Saudi is what it is. I am pretty pragmatic about it. I do not want the country going into Reolution that is for sure. I so hope that the devlopments in the states surrounding it might have a long term influence as for the freedom of Christians to practice their faith in some form
ReplyDeleteNice take on it all. I must admit though, the Kingdom's interpretation of Islam and Islamic law isn't merely strict to Western eyes, but indeed to many Muslims as well. Many liken Saudi Wahhabism to what would happen if your weirdest local evangelical mega-church took over a country, many Muslims that is.
ReplyDeleteIt is a bit odd that the Pope started by going right for Saudi with his requests, but I agree that I would've said the same as you to the King.