Read Online The Life and Legacy of Pope John Paul II by Wyatt North - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Wyatt North
Tags: Religion & Spirituality, Biographies & Memoirs, Religious, Leaders & Notable People, Christian Books & Bibles, Catholicism, Popes & the Vatican
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most Catholics considered these meetings emblematic of the pope’s expansive heart, rejectionist Catholics who deny Vatican II saw it simply as more cavorting by the “anti-pope” with pagans and idolaters.
Even so, in his 1994 book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, he counseled the faithful against incorporating seemingly innocuous Buddhist elements into their personal practices, and he emphasized the differences between Catholicism and Buddhism. As described by John Paul, Christianity and Buddhism are opposing systems of belief. Both revolve around soteriology, but the salvation expressed in Buddhism is a “negative soteriology” seeking detachment from an evil world that causes only sorrow. In addition, the detachment achieved in Buddhism does not have the goal of bringing one closer to God. Thus, Buddhism’s focus is quite different and incompatible with Catholicism. He described Buddhism as being “in large measure an ‘atheistic’ system,” a characterization which some Buddhists found offensive. To soothe those offended, the pope later emphasized again his respect for Buddhism.
John Paul II and Islam
Many Muslims appreciated the overtures John Paul made to improve Catholic–Muslim dialogue. He was the first pope to visit an officially Islamic country at the invitation of its religious leader. This occurred in August 1985, when he visited Morocco at the behest of King Hassan II. During that visit, he enjoyed a visit with thousands of Muslim young people in Casablanca Stadium, emphasizing: “we believe in the same God, the one God, the living God.” In May 2001 he became the first pope in history to enter a mosque, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, which had formerly been a Byzantine church. At the mosque, he said that Christians and Muslims had often offended one another and needed to offer each other forgiveness, a theme he repeated elsewhere as well.
In 1974, Pope Paul VI had created the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims as a section within the Pontifical Council for non-Christians, which he had also established. In 1998, during the pontificate of John Paul, a Joint Committee was established between the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Permanent Committee of al-Ahzar for Dialogue with Monotheistic Religions. The Islamic University of al-Azhar in Cairo is the highest religious institution in Egypt. The joint committee met at least once a year for a number of years, alternating between Cairo and in Rome. In 2000, the pope had a cordial meeting in Egypt with Sheikh Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, the well-respected Grand Imam of al-Azhar whose later denunciations of violence against Christians in Egypt were much appreciated by Christians. (Sheikh Tantawi died in 2010, and relations with the Vatican were suspended by his successor. Many other initiatives with the Muslim world, however, took place both before and after that date.) The annual papal message for World Peace Day, established by Pope Paul VI in 1968, continued to be regularly translated into Arabic, and John Paul continued the tradition begun by Paul VI of addressing an annual message of goodwill to all Muslims for the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
John Paul’s views concerning Islam were rooted in the statement on Islam in Nostra Aetate , which credits Islam with belief in the one God, valuing prayer, and esteeming morality. On numerous occasions, John Paul emphasized the commonality of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism as spiritual descendants of Abraham sharing worship of the one God who created the world. He viewed that common witness as a key point of cohesion among the three monotheistic religions against an increasingly secular world. He particularly admired the Islamic fidelity to prayer since prayer was so central to his own life and spirituality, and he called it a model for Christians. He expressed the hope that dialogue would lead to improved knowledge and esteem between
Even so, in his 1994 book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, he counseled the faithful against incorporating seemingly innocuous Buddhist elements into their personal practices, and he emphasized the differences between Catholicism and Buddhism. As described by John Paul, Christianity and Buddhism are opposing systems of belief. Both revolve around soteriology, but the salvation expressed in Buddhism is a “negative soteriology” seeking detachment from an evil world that causes only sorrow. In addition, the detachment achieved in Buddhism does not have the goal of bringing one closer to God. Thus, Buddhism’s focus is quite different and incompatible with Catholicism. He described Buddhism as being “in large measure an ‘atheistic’ system,” a characterization which some Buddhists found offensive. To soothe those offended, the pope later emphasized again his respect for Buddhism.
John Paul II and Islam
Many Muslims appreciated the overtures John Paul made to improve Catholic–Muslim dialogue. He was the first pope to visit an officially Islamic country at the invitation of its religious leader. This occurred in August 1985, when he visited Morocco at the behest of King Hassan II. During that visit, he enjoyed a visit with thousands of Muslim young people in Casablanca Stadium, emphasizing: “we believe in the same God, the one God, the living God.” In May 2001 he became the first pope in history to enter a mosque, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, which had formerly been a Byzantine church. At the mosque, he said that Christians and Muslims had often offended one another and needed to offer each other forgiveness, a theme he repeated elsewhere as well.
In 1974, Pope Paul VI had created the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims as a section within the Pontifical Council for non-Christians, which he had also established. In 1998, during the pontificate of John Paul, a Joint Committee was established between the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Permanent Committee of al-Ahzar for Dialogue with Monotheistic Religions. The Islamic University of al-Azhar in Cairo is the highest religious institution in Egypt. The joint committee met at least once a year for a number of years, alternating between Cairo and in Rome. In 2000, the pope had a cordial meeting in Egypt with Sheikh Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, the well-respected Grand Imam of al-Azhar whose later denunciations of violence against Christians in Egypt were much appreciated by Christians. (Sheikh Tantawi died in 2010, and relations with the Vatican were suspended by his successor. Many other initiatives with the Muslim world, however, took place both before and after that date.) The annual papal message for World Peace Day, established by Pope Paul VI in 1968, continued to be regularly translated into Arabic, and John Paul continued the tradition begun by Paul VI of addressing an annual message of goodwill to all Muslims for the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
John Paul’s views concerning Islam were rooted in the statement on Islam in Nostra Aetate , which credits Islam with belief in the one God, valuing prayer, and esteeming morality. On numerous occasions, John Paul emphasized the commonality of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism as spiritual descendants of Abraham sharing worship of the one God who created the world. He viewed that common witness as a key point of cohesion among the three monotheistic religions against an increasingly secular world. He particularly admired the Islamic fidelity to prayer since prayer was so central to his own life and spirituality, and he called it a model for Christians. He expressed the hope that dialogue would lead to improved knowledge and esteem between
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