Insightful Interview On How Pope Deals With Islamic and Communist Regimes

I thought this interview was very good. This was in the Roman perodical La Stampa and are words of a respected political commentator-theologian.


THE NOVELTY BENEDICT XVI BRINGS TO THE PAPACY
By GIANNI BAGET BOZZO
In today's issue of La Stampa, we get a fresh insight and analysis of Benedict XVI's actions once again from this veteran political commentator-theologian.

Perhaps a sign to understand the direction that Pope Benedict XVI is giving to his Pontificate is the new format of the Osservatore Romano under Giovanni Maria Gian. It used to be an ordinary Italian newspaper which documented the activities of the Holy See. It is now a Papal newspaper, which focuses on properly Papal matters, of the Pope's magisterium and governance of the Church, highlighting questions of doctrinal and spiritual character for the universal Church.

At the same time, reporting and analysis of international affairs has taken the place of merely focusing on Italian politics and society. There is another side of Benedict XVI's activity which perhaps explains why he named a trusted co-worker like Cardinal Bertone to a role normally carried out by Vatican diplomats, that of secretary of State. The Pope wishes to have something to say personally about the problems of the world, therefore those that have to do with nation states, and among his top priorities is to assure freedom of religion, especially for Christians. This explains two fundamental acts of his Pontificate so far.

The first is his decision to address the freedom of the Church in China, making clear that its presence cannot be left alone to an underground Church, no matter how faithful it is, but that the Church should take its place in the context of Chinese institutions and society. It means that the Church accepts the Confucian principle of 'great harmony' often enunciated as the basis (and goal) of the Chinese Communist government, at this paradoxical point when - while the regime remains Communist - the country itself is becoming a great capitalist power, and only this 'great harmony' can govern such a China. That is why the Pope accepts that Catholic bishops should have the consensus of the Chinese government. This might be taken as an act of acculturation to China, but the purpose is to obtain a degree of freedom, limited as it may be, for Chinese Catholics. Today, there are more Chinese Catholics than the number of registered members in the Chinese Communist Party. Still, the papal line is that the Church in China should grow in the Confucian 'great harmony' that is guaranteed by the Communist regime.

The Pope is showing a similar orientation with respect to the Muslim world. The Regensburg lecture had been considered by most commentators an 'error' but it has proven to be a fresh beginning. It was not the Western governments but the Pope who has made the world aware that religious freedom for Christians impacts on Muslim identity in the world. And that is why the 'custodian of the holy mosques of Mecca and Medina' came to Rome and offered the Pope a sword, a gesture that could be seen to symbolize an end to reciprocal hostility.

After Regensburg, the religious freedom of Christians in Muslim lands has become a Muslim problem as never before. It is significant that the joint communique after the visit of the Saudi Arabian king referred to the 'industrious presence of Christians in Saudi Arabia.' The reference legitimizes a reality that is otherwise denied as religious fact under present Saudi law.

Equally significant is the letter addressed by an international group of Muslim religious authorities to the Pope and other Christian leaders. It is a recognition that relationship with Christianity is something that is fundamental for Muslims, in a way different from Islam's relationship with the Western world.

They are addressing the Christian churches as a reality on a par with Islam, in a way that all of Western society is not. Thus, in the two aspects of Benedict XVI's actions - his governance of the Church and his relationship with the rest of the world - we see the novelty that he has brought to the Roman Papacy. La Stampa, 10 novembre 2007