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, Jordan | Pope Benedict XVI visited a mosque in the Jordanian capital Saturday, the second day of his Middle East visit, in an effort to mend fences with a Muslim world still smarting from his remarks three years ago linking the prophet Muhammad with violence. Speaking at the new King Hussein bin Talal Mosque, the largest in Jordan, Benedict, 82, urged Christians and Muslims to work together for peace in the region. "I firmly believe Christians and Muslims can embrace [the task of cooperation] particularly through our respective contributions to learning and scholarship, and public service," Reuters news agency...

JERUSALEM, APRIL 30, 2009 (Zenit.org).- More than a hundred rabbis of various denominations will sign a message welcoming Benedict XVI to the Holy Land and encouraging dialogue between Jews and Christians. The presidents of the International Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Education, Adalberta and Armando Bernardini, told ZENIT that the message is due to be published on the Web site of an Israeli newspaper, "Ha'Arezt." The initiative is being promoted by one of the foundation's members, Rabbi Jack Bemporard, also director of the New Jersey based Center for Interreligious Understanding. From May 8 to 15 the Pope will visit the...

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (CNS) -- A group of Pygmies showed up to give Pope Benedict XVI an unscheduled send-off from Cameroon, and presented him with a live turtle to take back with him to the Vatican. The 15 Pygmies from the Baka ethnic group came to the pope's residence at the apostolic nunciature in Yaounde March 20 as the pontiff was preparing to leave for Angola. They built a ceremonial hut out of leaves in the garden of the residence, and the pope came out to greet them. The Pygmies, including grandparents, parents and children, sang songs and danced to the...

<p>A rabbi in Jerusalem has one request for Pope Benedict XVI when he visits the Western Wall in May: Leave the cross at home.</p> <p>Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, who will meet the pontiff when he visits the Holy Land on May 12, said that a cross is not proper when visiting the Jewish religious site, The Jerusalem Post reported.</p>

YAOUNDE, Cameroon – Pope Benedict XVI said condoms are not the answer to the AIDS epidemic in Africa and can make the problem worse, setting off criticism Tuesday as he began a weeklong trip to the continent where some 22 million people are living with HIV. Benedict's first statement on an issue that has divided even Catholic clergy working with AIDS patients came hours before he arrived in Cameroon's capital — greeted by thousands of flag-waving faithful who stood shoulder-to-shoulder in red dirt fields and jammed downtown streets for a glimpse of the pontiff's motorcade. In his four years as...

London (PTI): Pope Benedict XVI will undertake what would be the first papal visit to Britain in 30 years and the second by any pontiff since King Henry VIII broke with the Vatican to establish Church of England, according to sources. However, details of the papal visit are still under discussion, but some cities being considered include London, Birmingham, Oxford, Edinburgh, Armagh and Dublin, 'The Daily Telegraph' quoted the unnamed sources as saying. And, a senior cardinal is due to make a private trip to Britain in the summer to make preparations for the Pope's visit, which could be announced...

PARIS (Reuters) - Pope Benedict began a four-day visit to France on Friday with a plea to the French to keep God in their lives and let religion help create a better world. Meeting with President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace in central Paris, the German-born pontiff praised France both for the deep Christian roots of its culture and the "serene and positive dialogue" between faith and power. Sarkozy, who has broken a political taboo by speaking openly and positively about the role of religion in society, said it would be "a folly" for France to ignore its long...

Damascus, Aug. 1, 2008 (CWNews.com) - A top Islamic leader has issued an invitation for Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) to visit Syria during the current Pauline year, the Italian Apcom news agency reports. Sheik Ahmad Badereddine Hassoun, the grand mufti of Syria, told reporters that he hoped the Pope would visit "in the footsteps of St. Paul." He volunteered to travel to Rome to help the Pontiff prepare for such a trip. The Vatican acknowledged the invitation without making any commitment. Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, observed that the invitation was a sign...

Rome, 23 July (AKI) - Pope Benedict XVI will meet Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki on Friday for the first time during his official visit to Italy. Al-Maliki is due to arrive in Rome on Thursday to meet his Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi on the second leg of his European visit after talks with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, in Berlin on Tuesday. The Iraqi prime minister will meet the Pope at the pontiff's summer residence at Castelgandolfo, outside Rome. He will then hold separate talks with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state. Iraq is home to the Chaldean...

Pope Benedict XVI on the Pope-a-boat under Sydney Harbour Bridge Sydney, Jul 17, 2008 / 07:00 am (CNA).- In the midst of jubilant crowds, the Papal “Boat-a-cade” arrived at Barangaroo this afternoon, after sailing around Sydney Harbour, where the Pope waved to tens of thousands people who had lined the foreshore to catch a glimpse of the Pontiff's arrival. “His Holiness stood waving in full-view of the crowd on board the vessel,” said WYD08 spokesman Father Mark Podesta. The Papal Boat carried approximately 530 people including 168 international pilgrims. After thanking the indigenous people of Australia for their warm...

New York, Apr 13, 2008 / 02:28 am (CNA).- Massive security operations will protect Pope Benedict XVI in his visit to New York City, including bomb-sniffing dogs, rooftop snipers and hovering helicopters, CBS News reports. "The closer you are to those locations, the more you are going to feel the effects of it," said NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly.A reporter asked Kelly if the security for the visit will be like a United Nations General Assembly, followed by a parade, followed by a presidential visit, Kelly said “yes.”On Friday the Pope’s visits to the United Nations, the Park East Synagogue,...

Before he became pope, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was well-known at the Vatican, but he remains a bit unknown to those outside Rome. Test your knowledge of the pontiff, including his favorite soft drink. Q1. How many popes preceded Benedict? 1. 264 2. 150 3. 450 Q2. Pope Benedict is the first pope to: 1. Snowboard in his papal robes 2. Write a book 3. Own an iPod Nano Q3. Which writer and thinker is a favorite of Pope Benedict's and was also the subject of his dissertation? 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 2. St. Augustine 3. St. Teresa of Avila...

Staten Island, NY (LifeNews.com) -- A leading pro-life Catholic group is challenging pro-abortion politicians with new YouTube videos illustrating the two most common types of abortion methods. The videos are part of a campaign Priests for Life has started, called “Is This What You Mean?” Father Frank Pavone, the head of the pro-life group, talked with LifeNews.com about the new initiative.“Our campaign is based on a simple challenge: We quote the words of the doctors who perform abortions, and then we ask supporters of legal abortion, ‘Is this what you mean when you say the word abortion?,'" Father Pavone explained.“People...

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, APRIL 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says that it is hard for him to understand how sexually abusive priests could have betrayed their mission, and promised that the Church will do everything possible so that such a situation does not repeat itself. The Pope affirmed this today from the Alitalia Boeing 777, "Shepherd One," that is carrying him to the United States for a 4 p.m. arrival at Andrews Air Force Base. Some 70 journalists are on-board the flight. "Really, it is a great suffering for the Church in the United States and for the Church...

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 15, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - American Life League has warned pro-abortion Catholic politicians not to politicize the Eucharist in a nation-wide, full page message addressed to Pope Benedict XVI. "First of all, welcome from the bottom of our hearts," says the ad. "From us all, thank you for the blessing of your presence. But most of all, please protect the body of Christ from the bloodstained hands of pro-abortion 'Catholics.'"On April 17, Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate Mass in Washington, DC where pro-abortion Catholic politicians are expected to attempt to receive communion. "Pro-abortion Catholics, who are not really...

The following is a rush transcript of comments made by Pope Benedict XVI to reporters aboard the papal plane, on his way to his first pastoral visit to the United States.... Fr. Federico Lombardi: ...We’ll have a question from our colleague Andres Beltramo, from the Notimex agency in Mexico. Beltramo: I’ll ask the question in Italian, but we would love to have just a greeting in Spanish. With the enormous growth in the Hispanic presence, the Catholic church in the United States is becoming steadily more bilingual and bicultural. Yet there’s also a growing “anti-immigrant” movement in America. Do you...

On Monday 14 April, I was having dinner at an Irish pub in Washington, DC with two Catholic priests, a Catholic high school teacher, a community leader in DC, and a Catholic blogger/author known as the "bane of feminist feminist bloggers," when one of them noticed a message written on the side of a truck. I rushed over to the window with my camera, and took a picture of the truck and its message. This is how it turned out: Groups such as the so-called "Women's Ordination Conference" have sympathizers in the mainstream media. The Voice of America recently featured...

Following their private meeting in the Oval Office, a joint communique was released by President Bush and Pope Benedict. Fulltext: His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and President George W. Bush met today in the Oval Office of the White House. President Bush, on behalf of all Americans, welcomed the Holy Father, wished him a happy birthday, and thanked him for the spiritual and moral guidance, which he offers to the whole human family. The President wished the Pope every success in his Apostolic Journey and in his address at the United Nations, and expressed appreciation for the Pope’s upcoming...

Washington DC, Apr 16, 2008 / 01:53 pm (CNA).- Freddy Patino, a Colombian seminarian from the Archdiocese of New York, has been chosen to care for the Pope’s mitre and skullcap during his visit to New York. Patino, who was born in Medellin, Colombia, and lives in Yonkers, was overjoyed at the news.  “They posted the lists, and I went and looked and realized I was chosen to carry the mitre during the Mass at Yankee Stadium.  I thought they made a mistake but they didn’t.  I am thrilled,” he said in a interview with Caracol Radio.“On Friday the Pope...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, "Peace be with you!" (Jn 20:19). With these, the first words of the Risen Lord to his disciples, I greet all of you in the joy of this Easter season. Before all else, I thank God for the blessing of being in your midst. I am particularly grateful to Archbishop Wuerl for his kind words of welcome. Our Mass today brings the Church in the United States back to its roots in nearby Maryland, and commemorates the bicentennial of the first chapter of its remarkable growth - the division by my predecessor, Pope...