High profile Muslim convert quits Catholic Church

The Tablet ^ | 3/25/2013

[Brian Kopp DPM]

High profile Muslim convert quits Catholic Church

25 March 2013

Magdi Cristiano Allam, an Egyptian-born Muslim whom Pope Benedict publicly baptised at Easter five years ago in St Peter's Basilica has announced that he is leaving the Church because it has taken too soft a stand against Islam.

"My conversion to Catholicism, which came at the hands of Benedict XVI during the Easter Vigil on 22 March 2008, I now consider finished in combination with the end of his pontificate," Mr Allam wrote on Monday in the right-wing Milan daily, Il Giornale.

The 61-year-old journalist and right-wing politician has long been an Italian citizen. He said he had pondered his decision to leave the Church for some time. However, he affirmed that the "last straw" was the election of Pope Francis, which he said was proof that the Church is "troppo buonista" - excessively tolerant.

"The 'papolatry' that has inflamed the euphoria for Francis I and has quickly archived Benedict XVI was the last straw in an overall framework of uncertainty and doubts about the Church," he wrote.

"The thing that drove me away from the Church more than any other factor was religious relativism, in particular the legitimisation of Islam as a true religion," he said. Mr Allam said Islam was "an intrinsically violent ideology" that had to be courageously opposed as "incompatible with our civilisation and fundamental human rights". "I am more convinced than ever that Europe will end up being subjugated to Islam just like what happened beginning in the seventh century on the other side of the Mediterranean," he warned.

The journalist's baptism in St Peter's Basilica was a highly guarded secret until the day it occurred. Mr Allam said Archbishop Rino Fisichella, head of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation, "personally accompanied" him to accept and be instructed in the Catholic faith. His godfather and confirmation sponsor was Maurizio Lupi, a high-ranking member of the Forza Italia party founded by former Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Pope Francis' run-in with Benedict XVI over the Prophet Mohammed

Pope Francis came close to losing his position within the Catholic Church after he criticised his predecessor seven years ago.

By Alasdair Baverstock

10:11AM GMT 15 Mar 2013

In 2005, then Pope Benedict quoted from an obscure medieval text which declared that the Prophet Mohammed, founder of the Islamic faith, was "evil and inhuman", enraging the Muslim population and causing attacks on churches throughout the world before an apology was issued.

Reacting within days to the statements, speaking through a spokesman to Newsweek Argentina, then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio declared his "unhappiness" with the statements, made at the University of Regensburg in Germany, and encouraged many of his subordinates with the Church to do the same.

"Pope Benedict's statement don't reflect my own opinions", the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires declared. "These statements will serve to destroy in 20 seconds the careful construction of a relationship with Islam that Pope John Paul II built over the last twenty years".

The Vatican reacted quickly, removing one subordinate, Joaquín Piña the Archbishop of Puerto Iguazú from his post within four days of his making similar statements to the Argentine national media, sending a clear statement to Cardinal Bergoglio that he would be next should he choose to persist.

Reacting to the threats from Rome, Cardinal Bergoglio cancelled his plans to fly to Rome, choosing to boycott the second synod that Pope Benedict had called during his tenure as pontiff.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Pope Francis: 'I Am Thinking Particularly of Dialogue With Islam'

March 22, 2013

---

By CNSNews.com Staff

(CNSNews.com) -- Speaking on Friday at an audience held for diplomats accredited to the Vatican, Pope Francis said that he hoped to "intensify dialogue" with other religion, particularly Islam.

He noted the pope is also known as the "pontiff"--or "a builder of bridges"--and that St. Francis was a peacemaker.

"In this work, the role of religion is fundamental," said the pope. "It is not possible to build bridges between people while forgetting God. But the converse is also true: it is not possible to establish true links with God, while ignoring other people. Hence it is important to intensify dialogue among the various religions, and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam."

Here is the complete text of the pope's speech to the diplomats

[Excellence]

I fear Mr. Magdi Cristiano Allam is correct.

[Da Coyote]

Regardless of the Pope’s intentions, we will most probably be at war with Islam within ten years.

[Olog-hai]

I suppose the true gravity of the situation with the Copts and other Christians in Muslim countries has not set in yet for the new pope . . . ?

[O6ret]

Islam does not recognize ‘bridge builders’ unless they are one-way, their way.

Islam views turning the other cheek as a sign of weakness.

[ex-snook]

This guy isn’t a convert. He is a politician.

[Cicero]

Well, we’ll see.

The Pope is between a rock and a hard place. Pope Benedict used some hard words at Regensburg, but he, too, tried to reach out to Islam.

The reason is not hard to find: there are Christians living in Muslim countries all over the world, and if the Pope says what he really thinks about Islam, then they get killed at a higher rate than they already are.

The Popes have been fully aware that the Muslims have a habit of burning churches and murdering or forcibly “converting” Christians. The problem is, what to do about it. It’s easy enough to say that Mohammed was a murderous, slave-taking, violent pederast from the safety of Rome, but it’s harder if you are a Christian living under the Muslim regime. Or to put it in opposite fashion, it’s OK to be a martyr to the truth when you are the martyr, but it’s less satisfactory when you say things that lead the killing of other people.

This guy has been used to fighting Communists under very difficult circumstances. Hopefully that has taught him something about fighting Islam.

[wideawake]

Sounds like a church hopper to me.

His personal feelings and agenda are the measure of the Church, in his eyes.

The sin of pride is nefarious.

[bayouranger]

Enough with the cowards.

[Cicero]

That, too. Sounds like he became a Catholic not because he was a real convert to the faith, but because it was a handy way to publicly confront his Muslim enemies.

Evidently he expected the Church to be intolerant and violent just like his former religion, and now he’s disappointed that it isn’t.

[Free and Armed]

Too many people mistaking efforts to open dialogue with an acceptance of the religion itself. Dialoguing with people can do wonders in improving relationships, and does not necessarily mean that truth will be compromised. We Catholics need to remember that this is the Church Christ founded that will not fail. Let’s have a little more confidence in the pope than what I’ve seen with a few people. I’ve met a lot of great young people from Islamic communities here in NC, and I hope and pray that they are the future direction of Muslims over here, not the fanatics and freaks we tend to focus on. I have no problem hanging out with them, but I refuse to compromise my Christian values in the process. Standing boldly for the truth, calling people out when necessary, but all the while acting in genuine love and humility, goes a long way. None of us are better than anyone, nor do Christians have the monopoly on moral living. We have the monopoly on truth, but we should be able to see where good exists elsewhere, even though it can be mixed with serious error and other bad stuff.

[EEGator]

[HerrBlucher]

If he is leaving the Church because he doesn’t like the new Pope, or for political reasons, then his conversion was political to begin with and thus a sham.

[stuartcr]

As long as the Church recognizes any religion other than itself, isn’t that relativism?

[Mr. Jeeves]

Regardless of the Pope’s intentions, we will most probably be at war with Islam within ten years.

We've been at war with Islam for over 1,400 years - right now we are just in one of the occasional breaks we take to let them catch their breath and regroup. :)

[stuartcr]

That should satisfy lots of folks.

[Alex Murphy]

Magdi Cristiano Allam, an Egyptian-born Muslim whom Pope Benedict publicly baptised at Easter five years ago in St Peter's Basilica has announced that he is leaving the Church because it has taken too soft a stand against Islam....

....In 2005, then Pope Benedict quoted from an obscure medieval text which declared that the Prophet Mohammed, founder of the Islamic faith, was "evil and inhuman", enraging the Muslim population and causing attacks on churches throughout the world before an apology was issued.

Reacting within days to the statements, speaking through a spokesman to Newsweek Argentina, then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio declared his "unhappiness" with the statements, made at the University of Regensburg in Germany, and encouraged many of his subordinates with the Church to do the same. "Pope Benedict's statement don't reflect my own opinions", the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires declared. "These statements will serve to destroy in 20 seconds the careful construction of a relationship with Islam that Pope John Paul II built over the last twenty years".

Does Magdi Cristiano Allam say where's he's going?

[johngrace]

Great points. I always thought this way too.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Too many people mistaking efforts to open dialogue with an acceptance of the religion itself. Dialoguing with people can do wonders in improving relationships, and does not necessarily mean that truth will be compromised.

"Dialoguing" is nonsense. The only possible purpose of "dialoguing" is either to convert someone or to compromise one or both of the partners so they can be merged.

Of all the idiotic, stupid, and perhaps plain evil things that have ever been conceived by the mind of man, this endless ecumenical "dialoguing" has got to be near the top.