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Pope Meets With Christians, Muslims

Posted on: Monday, 25 April 2005, 06:00 CDT

VATICAN CITY - A day after reaching out to other Christians and to Jews in his installation Mass, Pope Benedict XVI met with members of the Muslim community on Monday and assured them that the church wanted to continue "building bridges of friendship."

Benedict made the comments in a meeting with religious leaders who attended his installation ceremony, saying he was particularly grateful that members of the Muslim community were present.

"I express my appreciation for the growth of dialogue between Muslims and Christians, both at the local and international level," he said.

He noted that the world is currently marked by conflicts but said it longs for peace.

"Yet peace is also a duty to which all peoples must be committed, especially those who profess to belong to religious traditions," he said. "Our efforts to come together and foster dialogue are a valuable contribution to building peace on solid foundations."

The Vatican didn't say which Muslim leaders attended the private meeting.

"I assure you that the church wants to continue building bridges of friendship with the followers of all religions, in order to seek the true good of every person and of society as a whole," he said.

The message was significant because Benedict had left out any specific mention of Muslims in his inaugural homily, although he had directed a greeting to "believers and non-believers alike."

He specifically mentioned Jews, calling them his "brothers and sisters" who were joined with Catholics in a "shared spiritual heritage." He also reached out to other Christians, calling several times for full communion of Christians.

Benedict repeated that message on Monday, telling ecumenical leaders that he fully supported the need to work toward uniting Christians divided by schism.

After the meeting ended, Benedict received a hero's welcome at an audience for German pilgrims. He shook hands with the faithful and blessed a child that was held out to him as he moved down a line of well-wishers before taking his seat and beginning his speech.

He was interrupted several times by applause and cheering, and he seemed to enjoy the welcome from his fellow countrymen, smiling and chuckling occasionally. Benedict is the first German pope in centuries.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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