JERUSALEM (CWNews.com) - At a meeting with the religious leaders of the three major faiths represented in Jerusalem, Pope John Paul II said that inter-religious cooperation could be «an immense benefit» for «the cause of peace in the region.»
The Pope spoke to a March 23 meeting of Christians, Jews, and Muslims at the Notre Dame Center in the Old City of Jerusalem. Addressing an overflow crowd in an audience that fits 500 people, he said: «We are truly entering into a new era of inter-religious dialogue.»
Flanked by Rabbi Meir Lau, a leader of the Ashkenazic Jewish community; and Taizir al Tamin, the head judge of the top Palestinian Muslim tribunal, the Pope repeated his frequent assurances that he understands how the city of Jerusalem is held as sacred by the representatives of the three great monotheistic faiths. He also admitted: «We understand all the misunderstandings and conflicts of the past, and we now that they still bear a heavy influence on relations among Jews, Christians, and Muslims.»
«However,» the Pope continued, believers of all these faiths must find «in our respective religious traditions» the understanding and the desire to work toward mutual understanding. He suggested that a keen awareness of past offenses should help religious leaders to understand the need to cooperate in building a new climate of mutual respect.
«The Catholic Church wishes to pursue sincere and fruitful inter-religious dialogue with people of the Jewish faith and with the faithful of Islam,» the Pope said. He added that dialogue should not be seen as a sort of gambit, or an attempt ultimately to impose one set of religious beliefs, but an attempt to work together toward an understanding of the truth-- as well as an effort to cooperate for the welfare of society.
The Pope sidestepped one political controversy, after the Islamic leader Taizir al Tamin welcomed him to Jerusalem, identifying the city as «the eternal capital of the Muslims and the Palestinians.» That claim was diametrically opposed to the claims frequently made by Israeli hosts during the Pope's trip-- the claim that Jerusalem is «the eternal capital of Israel.» The Pope--who has frequently voiced his own preference for an international accord that would guarantee full access to Jerusalem for all believers-- simply said that the city should be known as «the city of peace.»
Catholic World News Service - Vatican Update