| Hussein bin-Talal moskeen i Amman. Foto: CNS |
Lørdag 9. mai gjestet Pave Benedikt XVI moskeen Al-Hussein bin-Talal, Jordans største moske med plass til 5500 troende.
Paven ble mottatt av kong Abdullah IIs fetter, prins Ghazi Bin Muhammed Bin Talal, en av initiativtagerne til brevet fra 138 ulike muslimske lærde - "A Common Word", et forsøk på å styrke forståelsen mellom kristne og muslimer.
I sin tale til muslimske lærde, professorer og diplomater, fortsatte Den hellige far på temaet fra sin mye omtalte Regensburg-tale; forholdet mellom tro og fornuft, og respekten for enkeltmenneskets verdighet:
"This understanding of reason, which continually draws the human mind beyond itself in the quest for the Absolute, poses a challenge; it contains a sense of both hope and caution. Together, Christians and Muslims are impelled to seek all that is just and right. We are bound to step beyond our particular interests and to encourage others, civil servants and leaders in particular, to do likewise in order to embrace the profound satisfaction of serving the common good, even at personal cost. And we are reminded that because it is our common human dignity which gives rise to universal human rights, they hold equally for every man and woman, irrespective of his or her religious, social or ethnic group. In this regard, we must note that the right of religious freedom extends beyond the question of worship and includes the right - especially of minorities - to fair access to the employment market and other spheres of civic life."
Benedikt XVI avsluttet sin tale med en hjertefølt påminnelse om de kristnes vanskelige situasjon i Irak:
"Before I leave you this morning I would like to acknowledge in a special way the presence among us of His Beatitude Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Baghdad, whom I greet most warmly. His presence brings to mind the people of neighboring Iraq many of whom have found welcome refuge here in Jordan. The international community's efforts to promote peace and reconciliation, together with those of the local leaders, must continue in order to bear fruit in the lives of Iraqis. I wish to express my appreciation for all those who are assisting in the endeavors to deepen trust and to rebuild the institutions and infrastructure essential to the well-being of that society. And once again, I urge diplomats and the international community they represent together with local political and religious leaders to do everything possible to ensure the ancient Christian community of that noble land its fundamental right to peaceful coexistence with their fellow citizens."
- Les hele pavens tale på Vatikanets egen nettside.
AsiaNews (9. mai 2009)