Here we go again...

[nekosensei]

Is it me, or was this an incredibly bad idea for both the pope and the journalist? Pope Benedict sure does have a habit of pissing off the Muslims, doesn't he?

I agree with the statement below:

Muslim groups in Italy said Mr Allam would have done better to have undergone a low key conversion at a local parish. "What amazes me is the high profile the Vatican has given this conversion," said Yaha Sergio Yahe Pallavicini, deputy head of the Italian Islamic Religious Community.

That was exactly what I was thinking when I started reading the article.

*sits back and watches the shit storm begin*

Comments

[lucy-burb.livejournal.com]

Doesn't the Catholic church have a history of doing some pretty bonehead things...? Did you have a look at the Manga Bible a little further down the page? That was pretty funky!

[nekosensei.livejournal.com]

No, I hadn't. Thanks for pointing that out.

[oblyvia.livejournal.com]

I have mixed feelings...I think it is asking for negative attention, but I also think that getting baptized by the Pope himself would be an opportunity few converters would pass up.

[nekosensei.livejournal.com]

Well...I don't think it was too bright for the Pope to agree to doing that. He already pissed off the Muslims with his comments in 2006. By baptizing that guy that has condemned Islam in the past, he isn't exactly sending them a positive message. Sorry, but I think he needs to be a bit more tolerant and understanding.

[oblyvia.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know. I don't see how it's intolerant to baptize anyone. Plus, people seem to completely overlook what he (and Muslim leaders) has done to foster a peaceful dialogue between Muslims and Christians. This story has been front page news since it happened, but this story (http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/03/05/pope_muslim_leaders_to_meet_in_rome/2205/) didn't seem to get any attention at all. I think the media wants to see controversy between Catholics and Muslims.

[nekosensei.livejournal.com]

I'm not saying that said journalist shouldn't have been baptized at all. If that's what he wanted, the church should have given him a more low-key baptism.

As for the Pope, after making those remarks in 2006, agreeing to *personally* baptize such a controversial figure who routinely criticizes Islam wasn't such a bright idea. That's something he should have taken into consideration, especially if one of his goals is to establish more dialogue between Catholics and Muslims.

It's unfortunate, but being the head of the Catholic church and all, he does really need to play some politics here.

[marina-bonomi.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you.
What I really see is a definite intolerance regarding everything (or almost everything) the Pope does or says, there's always someone pointing out that he should have done this or that instead...

[marina-bonomi.livejournal.com]

>Pope Benedict sure does have a habit of >pissing off the Muslims, doesn't he?

Depends on who you consider 'the Muslims' to be. For instance in all the Ratisbon hubbub (started even before there was a translation of the speech available) the head of the German Muslim community was present, and was the first to speak in favor of the Pope, also that episode has started very interesting contacts and there will be a fascinating meeting in the Vatican with a couple hundred Muslim intellectuals.

Now if you consider 'the Muslim' the extremely vocal guys that protest when somebody tells them to...

BTW, why everybody (and I'm not referring to you, rather to the media and such), feels authorized to tell the Pope what he should or shouldn't do or say even when it's purely an 'internal' matter for instance in matters of doctrine, or regarding some beatifications?

>Mr Allam would have done better to have >undergone a low key conversion at a local >parish.

Well this is just his own business, I doubt anybody has imposed the time or place on him, and mr. Allam is quite a vocal guy.