With World on the Brink, Can Benedict be a Firebreak?

The National Catholic Reporter ^ | 9/13/12 | John L Allen Jr

[marshmallow]

ROME -- Even before the deaths of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans in Libya on Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI’s Sept. 14-16 trip to Lebanon shaped up as a high wire act. The pontiff will have to navigate Lebanon’s complex inter-faith mix, against the backdrop of what amounts to civil war in neighboring Syria.

Now the trip also becomes the first visit of a major Western leader to the Arab world after the attacks in Egypt and Libya, and with the prospect of more violence on the horizon. Big questions loom: Will the pope’s presence inflame extremist Islamic sentiment even further? Or, will the visit act as a firebreak, offering a counter-narrative of Muslim-Christian harmony?

If the pope, arguably the preeminent symbol of Western civilization, is well received in a country known as a Hezbollah stronghold, it could offer hope for cooler heads to prevail all across the region.

In either event, this 24th foreign journey by Benedict XVI, and his fourth to the Middle East, could potentially be among his most consequential.

Aware of the risks, the Vatican has already sent conciliatory signals. Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesperson, released a statement on Tuesday expressing sympathy for Muslims upset with an anti-Islamic American film cited as a pretext for the attacks in Egypt and Libya.

“Profound respect for the beliefs, texts, outstanding figures and symbols of the various religions is an essential precondition for the peaceful coexistence of peoples,” Lombardi said.

“The serious consequences of unjustified offence and provocations against the sensibilities of Muslim believers are once again evident in these days, as we see the reactions they arouse, sometimes with tragic results, which in their turn nourish tension and hatred, unleashing unacceptable violence,” he said.

Lombardi said that Benedict will bring a “message of dialogue......

[vladimir998]

“Profound respect for the beliefs, texts, outstanding figures and symbols of the various religions is an essential precondition for the peaceful coexistence of peoples,” Lombardi said.

And that “Profound respect” is exactly what Islam gives to NO ONE. Hence, there will always be war between Islam and everyone else.

[OldNavyVet]

To put it mildly, "Infidels" are not popular with Muslims.

When that thinking comes home to roost, one's option to live is on the line.

[livius]

I think they’re rioting in Lebanon right now. I hope the Pope gets in and out of there safely.

[Jmouse007]

Benedict is just a man and an "infidel" according to Islam. If he were to go out into that Muslim crowd, they would sodomize him as they did the U.S. Ambassador, tear him to pieces, and then kill him. It is clear from everything we are seeing throughout the middle east, the world and the annals of history that Muslims are blood thirsty animals, their "religion" is on par with that of the Thuggies and the worship of Kalie. It is from the pit of hell and they are serving their Father the Devil.

Benedict will accomplish nothing. The only person who can end this madness and deliver us all from this evil is the Lord Jesus Christ. Until then... the world will continue its downward plunge into Satanic madness in preparation for the coming Antichrist.

[Unam Sanctam]

I pray nothing bad happens and will be glad when he gets out of there.

[JimRed]

As a top-level Infidel, Benedict will be a tempting target.