Posted on 09/24/2006 6:08:22 AM PDT by lizol
Pope praises murdered Italian nun for pardoning her killers
24/09/2006 - 12:39:17
Pope Benedict XVI today praised an Italian nun for pardoning her killers as she lay dying from an attack in Somalia that may have been linked to worldwide Muslim anger over his recent remarks about Islam and violence.
Benedict spoke to pilgrims at his Castel Gandolfo summer palace where, on Monday, he will meet with ambassadors from predominantly Muslim countries in an effort to defuse tensions arising from a speech he gave on September 12 while on a pilgrimage in Germany.
Rosa Sgorbati, an Italian missionary who worked in a paediatrics hospital in Somalia under her religious name Sister Leonella, was slain in Mogadishu on September 17, the day that Benedict said he was deeply sorry his remarks had offended Muslims.
The pontiff has also stressed that the words he spoke, a citation from a Byzantine emperor in Medieval times, did not reflect his own opinion.
Speaking today about the need to overcome selfishness, Benedict cited the slaying of the nun in Somalia, where she had worked as a nurse.
“Some are asked to give the supreme testimony of blood, as it happened a few days ago to the Italian nun, Sister Leonella Sgorbati, who fell victim to violence,” the pontiff said.
“This nun, who for many years served the poor and the children in Somalia, died pronouncing the world ‘pardon”’, the pope told pilgrims during his traditional Sunday noon appearance.
“This is the most authentic Christian testimony, a peaceful sign of contradiction which shows the victory of love over hate and evil.”
In the Pope’s controversial speech, at the University of Regensburg, where he had taught while a German theology professor, Benedict quoted the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterised some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as “evil and inhuman”, particularly “his command to spread by the sword the faith”.
In his appearance in the summer palace, 15 miles south-east of Rome, Benedict made no mention of Monday’s appointment, which the Vatican has said was called because of urgent need for dialogue.
On Saturday, the pontiff, speaking to a group of African visitors, spoke of the need to encourage dialogue between Muslims and Christians.
The Vatican said Friday that the pope had invited ambassadors to the Holy See from predominantly Muslim countries to meet with him in Castel Gandolfo.
Among the countries expected to send a representative was Indonesia, where Christian-Muslim tensions were sharpened last week by the execution of three Catholic militants. Benedict last month had appealed to Indonesia to spare the men.
Also invited to Monday’s meeting were leaders of the Muslim community in Italy, who have advised the Italian government on politically delicate issues of Muslim integration in the largely Catholic country. Benedict’s chief aide on inter-religious dialogue, French Cardinal Paul Poupard, will also participate.
Last week, the Pope said he had “deep respect” for Islam.
Amid fury in the Muslim world, the Vatican also ordered papal representatives around the world to meet with leaders of Muslim countries to explain the pope’s point of view and the full context of his speech.
I have a "deep respect" for rabid pit bulls
It's probably the same kind of it. :-)))
Everyone needs to get REALLY angry, which this nation is not capable of doing.
this nation needs to rally together as one, and as long as the feel good socialists are here, it ain't going to happen.
The Sister's forgiving of her killers was amazing. How many of us could be so benevolent while being murdered. Her act offers an amazing contrast between those who kill in the name of religion and those who forgive even their murderers. Her approach is not, however, a model a country could follow. Our leaders are in charge of protecting us and our way of live. They are not responsible for the salvation of our souls.
Regards, Ivan
Another Infidel who apparently hasn't read the Koran or Hadiths. - tom
“Some are asked to give the supreme testimony of blood, as it happened a few days ago to the Italian nun, Sister Leonella Sgorbati,who fell victim to violence,” .......who was viciously murdered by the lowest form of scum on planet earth is more like it !!!
This is a very important point that many people do not understand. The duty of a secular leader is to protect his people and his country; if he himself is murdered, he can forgive personally while dying, but as a leader, he cannot leave his people vulnerable to evil.
"...which shows the victory of love over hate and evil."
They're coming for your throat Benedict. Get some spine before it's severed.
I think MadIvan said it best. It is our job to defend the Pope, who has nothing but a few Swiss Guards between him and the terrorists.
Or, is he looking for personal martyrdom?
I do not trust that once a dedicated fanatical muslim gets it in his head that a call by fellow nutcases for the Pope to be "eliminated" that he (the jihadist) will view it as just bluster for the Arab street.
He's read them, maybe even in the original Arabic, although possibly not, since he's not known to be as much of a polyglot as John-Paul.
Then he say what he means and stand by it.
I can say (I know one of his Colleagues) that once He was fond of Al-Ghazali and Averroè, but found Ibn-Taimya "UGLY"....
Are y'all allowed to just decide that?
I had no idea the Bible was supposed to be a living document now! Neat!
I suspected as much. He was a pretty high powered academic theologian. Stands to reason he'd have studied "the competition" so to speak.
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