{"id":614,"date":"2013-03-22T12:00:15","date_gmt":"2013-03-22T11:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stefanopitrelli.com\/?p=614"},"modified":"2014-03-12T12:22:10","modified_gmt":"2014-03-12T11:22:10","slug":"in-pope-francis-other-faiths-see-a-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stefanopitrelli.com\/?p=614","title":{"rendered":"In Pope Francis, other faiths see a friend"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Nick Miroff and Anthony Faiola \/ Faiola reported from Vatican City. Julie Tate in Washington and Stefano Pitrelli in Rome contributed to this report<\/a>.<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

Buenos Aires \u2014\u00a0Nearly every July 18, the bitter anniversary of the 1994 truck bombing that ripped apart a Jewish community here, Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio would arrive to pay tribute at a memorial to the 85 victims.<\/span><\/p>\n

He came on other occasions, too, often showing up on foot after catching the subway to the rebuilt\u00a0Argentine Israeli Mutual Association<\/a>, its entrance now fortified by blast walls and thick bollards. In the visitor log book, the archbishop left a message in 2010, his handwriting almost too small to read.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thank the Lord for allowing me to share this path with elder brothers,\u201d it read. It was signed \u201cJorge Mario Bergoglio,\u201d leaving off any formal title.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the maximum leader of the Christian world,\u201d said Guillermo Borger, the association president, \u201cwe have an ally.\u201d<\/p>\n

The interfaith relationships built by Cardinal Bergoglio in Argentina underscore an approach to religious diversity that observers say could differ substantially from the papacy of Benedict XVI, whose tenure was marked by a mixed record of controversial statements and misunderstandings. In contrast, during his time as cardinal, Pope Francis became largely known for tolerance and peaceful cohabitation with non-Roman Catholics.<\/p>\n

Argentina\u2019s sizable Muslim community has praised Francis for facilitating interfaith dialogue during the 14 years he was archbishop of Buenos Aires. The secretary general of theIslamic Center of the Argentine Republic<\/a>, Sumer Noufouri, said he regularly attended an annual Mass convened by Bergoglio to celebrate Argentina\u2019s Independence Day, alongside the country\u2019s Jewish leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a person who listens and who knows Islam,\u201d said Noufouri, who described Bergoglio\u2019s elevation to pope as \u201can opportunity for a fresh start in relations between Islam and the Catholic Church,\u201d particularly at a time of growing \u201cIslamophobia in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vatican insiders say Francis\u2019s history of building bridges, along with his attempt to quickly transform the lofty office of the papacy through humanity and simplicity, may already be paying off.<\/p>\n

Experts point to the rare decision by Bartholomew I, spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, to attendTuesday\u2019s papal induction<\/a>, becoming the first to do so since at least the Great Schism of 1054. Observers said the decision appeared to be linked to Francis\u2019s closeness to Byzantine Catholics in Buenos Aires, who hold traditions similar to those of the Eastern Orthodox faith.<\/p>\n

Francis would meet with leaders of Christian and non-Christian churches at the \u201csame moment, not two different moments,\u201d the Rev. Thomas Rosica, a Vatican spokesman, stressed before that session last week.<\/p>\n

Said John Thavis, author of \u201cThe Vatican Diaries<\/a>\u201d: \u201cIf Francis keeps making it clear that he is not exalting himself, that he sees the papal office as less authoritarian from the top, as more collegial, we could see some huge movements in ecumenical relations.\u201d<\/p>\n

That would stand in contrast with the past eight years, when Benedict\u2019s papacy saw occasionally strained relations between the Vatican and other faiths, particularly with Muslims and Jews.<\/p>\n

Papal comparisons<\/strong><\/p>\n

In one sense, Benedict sought to build his own bridges. For example, he openly endorsed the stalled bid for Turkey to join the European Union, even as the traditionally secular state became increasingly religious under\u00a0Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan<\/a>, a devout Muslim. He also called on Catholics in Europe to embrace immigrants from the Islamic world.<\/p>\n

Benedict also had a history of developing closer relations with the Jewish community, becoming the first pope to visit a synagogue in the United States and once describing the Jewish faith as \u201cparticularly close to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet as the defender of the Catholic faith, Benedict also became known for divisive pronouncements. The most controversial was a\u00a02006 speech<\/a>in Germany, when he quoted a text attributed to the 14th-century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus that denounced the teachings of the prophet Muhammad as \u201cevil\u201d and \u201cinhuman.\u201d The move sparked protests in Muslim countries, leading to churches being burned and the images of the pope burned in effigy.<\/p>\n

Also during Benedict\u2019s tenure, the Vatican reversed the excommunication of Richard Nelson Williamson, a bishop who called Jews \u201cenemies of God\u201d and questioned the Holocaust.<\/p>\n

In Francis\u2019s first days, however, religious leaders say the new pope appears to be reaching out to those of other faiths, although it remains to be seen whether that will last. Speaking of Benedict, Riccardo Di Segni, the chief rabbi of Rome, said that \u201cfrom a purely theological point of view, he was very strict.\u201d<\/p>\n

By comparison, Francis, who sent Di Segni a personal invitation to attend his induction, has \u201cin his first few days shown a different approach. He is talking about repentance, about mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, Di Segni added: \u201cIt is still too early to say how this pope will be. Everything I\u2019ve heard is that he had good relations with the Jewish community in Argentina, but now he is the leader of the Catholic Church. What works as bishop may not work as pope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benedict, now known as the pope emeritus, earned the ire of some Anglicans for creating \u201cordinariates.\u201d These were new church structures that allowed conservative Anglicans to convert to Catholicism.\u00a0They were particularly aimed at conservatives who were frustrated with their own progressive hierarchy\u2019s move to embrace female and gay clergy.<\/p>\n

But Bishop Gregory Venables, the Anglican bishop of Argentina, said Bergoglio was apparently skeptical of Benedict\u2019s move. Bergoglio \u201ccalled me to have breakfast with him one morning and told me very clearly that the ordinariate was quite unnecessary and that the church needs us as Anglicans,\u201d Venables told the Anglican Communion News Service.<\/p>\n

\u2018A facilitator for peace\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Vatican\u2019s Pontifical Council for the Family, said perhaps most telling of the new pope\u2019s intentions with other faiths was his decision to honor St. Francis of Assisi.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he chose his name, he knew full well that it would ease dialogue with other religions, including Islam,\u201d Paglia said. \u201cWhen the Crusades were going on, Francis of Assisi went to Egypt to speak with the sultan. While others were using the sword, he used the word.\u201d<\/p>\n

Borger, the Jewish community leader in Buenos Aires, said in Bergoglio he found \u201ca simple, humble man\u201d who is committed to social justice. \u201cHe spoke out constantly against anti-Semitism and any other form of discrimination,\u201d Borger said. \u201cHe will be a facilitator for peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

The last time Bergoglio visited the center, Borger said, he accompanied him down to the street and out through the center\u2019s heavy steel doors. The archbishop bid a warm goodbye, he said, then began walking toward\u00a0the subway<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Nick Miroff and Anthony Faiola \/ Faiola reported from Vatican City. Julie Tate in Washington and Stefano Pitrelli in Rome contributed to this report. Buenos Aires \u2014\u00a0Nearly every July 18, the bitter anniversary of the 1994 truck bombing that ripped apart a Jewish community here, Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio would arrive to pay tribute […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[48],"class_list":["post-614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-washpost","tag-vaticano"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stefanopitrelli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stefanopitrelli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stefanopitrelli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stefanopitrelli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stefanopitrelli.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=614"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.stefanopitrelli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":730,"href":"https:\/\/www.stefanopitrelli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/614\/revisions\/730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stefanopitrelli.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stefanopitrelli.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stefanopitrelli.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}