Pope Promoting Easter Peace? (no spam)

[dragon wench]

Pope rejoices over conversions


Mar 23, 2008 03:10 PM
FRANCES D'EMILIO
Associated Press Writer
VATICAN CITY—Pope Benedict XVI denounced injustice and violence as “scourges of humanity” in his Easter Sunday message to the world and he singled out the Middle East and Tibet among places most in need of peace.

In a Mass celebrated on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica to mark Christianity’s most important day, the pope rejoiced over conversions only hours after he baptized a prominent Muslim.

A white canopy on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica protected the 80-year-old pontiff from a downpour while thousands of pilgrims, tourists and Romans braved thunder and wind-whipped rain.

Benedict denounced “selfishness, injustice, hatred and violence” between individuals and peoples.

“These are the scourges of humanity, open and festering in every corner of the planet, although they are often ignored and sometimes deliberately concealed, wounds that torture the souls and bodies of countless of our brothers and sisters,” the pontiff said, speaking over the sound of heavy rain in the square.

The faithful were celebrating their belief in the resurrection of Jesus after he was crucified. Thanks to the apostles’ preaching about the resurrection, “thousands and thousands of persons converted to Christianity,” Benedict said.

“And this is a miracle which renews itself even today,” the pope said, hours after a Saturday night Easter vigil service in which he baptized seven adults. The converts included Magdi Allam, a prominent journalist and commentator in Italy who has received death threats for his denunciations of Islamic fanaticism.

Allam, 55, deputy editor of Corriere della Sera newspaper, was born a Muslim in Egypt, but was educated by Catholics and says he has never been a practicing Muslim.

He wrote in a front-page letter published Sunday in Corriere that he was now taking on the middle name Cristiano — Christian in Italian.

He expressed his gratitude to Benedict, calling Saturday “the most beautiful day of my life.’’

“The miracle of the resurrection of Christ reverberated in my soul, freeing it from the shadows of a preaching where hate and intolerance toward he who is different, toward he who is condemned as an ’enemy,’ prevailed over love and respect for your neighbor,’’ Allam wrote.

His criticism of Palestinian suicide bombings prompted the Italian government to provide him with a sizable security detail in 2003 after Hamas singled him out for death, Allam has said in an interview.

The pope himself has come under verbal attack from Islamic militants.

Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, in a new audio message posted last week, accused Benedict of playing a role in what he called a ``new Crusade” against Islam. The Vatican has described the accusation as baseless.

Security during papal public appearances was stepped up in 2001 after the Sept. 11 attacks, and there has been no noticeable increase in protective measures since the new message surfaced.

In a speech at the end of the Mass, Benedict said that on the joyous day of Easter, “in particular, how can we fail to remember certain African regions, such as Darfur and Somalia, the ``tormented Middle East, especially the Holy Land, Iraq, Lebanon and finally Tibet, all of which I encourage to seek solutions that will safeguard peace and the common good.’’

At times, thunder drowned out a paramilitary band playing in the square and the voices of a choir singing “Alleluja.’’








Wow.... this guy really needs to get himself some new advisers, all things considered...

[fable]

Benedict denounced “selfishness, injustice, hatred and violence” between individuals and peoples.

While it's nice to see him doing this, I can't help but recall that he still rejects women priests, and says that gay unions are false. And it certainly seems to me that he is far more influential in booting the rot he perpetuates, above, above women and gays, than he is in the rote condemnation of stuff that nobody in their right mind would applaud.

But perhaps that's just my reading of it. I'm admittedly not very sympathetic to many aspects of Roman Catholicism.