Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - The importance of the “lecture” given by Pope Benedict XVI at the University of Regensburg last week was underlined by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference CEI when he opened the work of a meeting of the Standing Council of the Italian Bishops’ Conference in Rome on Monday 18 September. Underlining that the Pope’s lecture “proposed and demonstrated the truth and perennial validity of Christianity with a great theological, and at the same time historical and philosophical fresco” the Cardinal expressed dismay and surprise because “certain words of the lecture were misunderstood and seen as an offence to Islam provoking acts of intimidation and dishonourable threats … whereas, as he said in the Lecture, the purpose of the Pope was to encourage “authentic dialogue between cultures and religions”. Here is the part of the Cardinal’s discourse on this matter which we give unabridged seeing its importance for the missionary world.
“With sincere affection we send greetings to the Holy Father who returned a few days ago from a visit to his native Bavaria, where, with extreme depth of reflection and persuasive gentleness he gave witness to and announced faith in God in whom the human person, human reason, human freedom find supreme and authentic fullness. Particularly in the splendid “lecture” at the University of Regensburg he not only proposed, but also demonstrated the truth and perennial validity of Christianity with a great theological, and at the same time historical and philosophical fresco, shedding light on the essential bond between human reason and faith in God who is Logos, showing that this bond is not confined to the past it opens still today great horizons for our desire to know and to live life which is full and free. This Lecture, his Encyclical Deus caritas est and his discourse to the Roman Curia on 22 December provide the fundamental co-ordinates of the message the Pope is proposing: we must therefore meditate on it profoundly and assimilate it, already in the context of the imminent Meeting in a Verona. We are surprised and dismayed that certain affirmations contained in the lecture have been so misunderstood as to be seen as an offence to Islam provoking acts of intimidation and dishonourable threats - perhaps even a pretext for the abominable murder of Sister Leonella Sgorbati in Mogadishu yesterday-, when the purpose of the Pope was to foster “authentic dialogue between cultures and religions - dialogue which is urgently necessary”, as it was said in the Lecture in question and so well explained by the Cardinal Secretary of State in his statement last Saturday, endorsed by the Holy Father yesterday at the Angelus. As the Bishops of Italy we assure the Pope of our support and solidarity and intensify our prayers for him, for the Church, for religious freedom and for dialogue and friendship among religions and peoples. On the other hand we deplore interpretations not lacking in our own country, which attribute to the Holy Father responsibilities which are absolutely not his, or errors he did not make and tend to strike at his person and his ministry.
The enthusiasm with which Bavaria and the whole of Germany surrounded Benedict XVI confirmed that the figure of this Pope is capable of opening a new stage, of renewed interest, trust and fidelity to Christianity and the Church on the part of the German people and German culture. Although in a different context, in Poland, the Holy Father’s visit last May was welcomed with the same affection and enthusiasm. In a special way at Krakow there emerged the strong bond which links Benedict XVI with John Paul II, and Pope Benedict’s discourse at Birkenau expressed with extreme sincerity and profundity of the travail of believers in front of the mystery and abyss of guilt and suffering which only Love can redeem”. (Agenzia Fides 19/9/2006; righe 45, parole 700)
