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H.L. Bishop Camillo Ballin, MCCI, Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait, (presently in Italy), "Respect for and collaboration with Muslims" is the
"The speech of the Holy Father was not a homily, nor a religious instruction, nor a judgment on any religion, nor on Islam in particular, but only an academic conference on the relation between faith and reason. His Holiness wanted to clarify that faith would reach a state of fundamentalism if it was not enlightened by reason.
The quotation of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus - presented to his Muslim interlocutor - was only historical proof of how a religion could reach a state of fundamentalism when it is not enlightened by reason.
Today, the 17th of September 2006, His Holiness affirmed that the quotation does not express in any way his personal opinion on Islam and declared that he is “deeply upset” for the misunderstanding and issued a call to dialogue between Islam and Christianity and to reciprocal respect.
An Arabic proverb says: “Brothers show themselves in times of hardship” I ask all, therefore, not to allow this rather sad incident to be an occasion to express their enmity against the Catholic Church. I ask you also not to forget that forty years ago the Catholic Church established a Pontifical Council for Dialogue between Islam and Christianity. So, how then would it be possible for the Pope himself to take a stand against Islam?
The State of Kuwait is well known for its moderate stand and for its sincere openness to all religions, especially towards Christianity. There is no doubt that the officials and persons in charge (in the State of Kuwait) understand quite well that what the Pope said was not an expression of his personal judgment on Islam, but only a historical quotation from the Middle Ages."
Rome, 17 September 2006
+ Camillo Ballin
has issued a brief statement following the angry reaction to a speech made
last week by the Holy Father at the University of Regensburg.
keynote of the Bishop's statement to the Muslim faithful.
Bishop of the Catholic Church in Kuwait
The main points of H.L. Bishop Camillo's statement in Arabic and Italian:
Punti principali Il discorso del Papa non era un’omelia ne’ un insegnamento religioso ne’ un giudizio su nessuna religione, tanto meno sull’Islam in particolare, ma solo una conferenza accademica sul rapporto tra ragione e fede. Sua Santita’ ha voluto chiarire che una fede non illuminata dalla ragione arrivera’ al fondamentalismo.
La citazione del detto dell’imperatore bizantino voleva essere solo una prova storica di come qualsiasi religione puo’ arrivare al fondamentalismo se non e’ illuminata dalla ragione. Oggi, 17 settembre 2006, Sua Santita’ ha affermato che quella citazione non esprime in nessun modo la sua opinione personale sull’Islam, per cui ha dichiarato di essere “profondamente dispiaciuto” del malinteso e ha invitato ancora una volta al dialogo tra Cristianesimo e Islam e al rispetto reciproco.
Un proverbio arabo dice: “Nelle difficolta’ conosci i fratelli”. Chiedo a tutti di non approfittare di questo triste incidente per esprimere la loro inimicizia verso la Chiesa cattolica. Chiedo a tutti di non dimenticare che la Chiesa cattolica ha fondato da 40 anni un Consiglio Pontificio per il Dialogo tra Islam e Cristianesimo. Per cui, come e’ possibile che ora il Papa stesso prenda posizione contro l’Islam?
Lo Stato del Kuwait e’ conosciuto per le sue posizioni moderate e per la sua apertura sincera verso tutte le religioni e in particolare verso il Cristianesimo. Percio’ non c’e’ dubbio che i responsabili dello Stato del Kuwait capiscono che quanto ha detto il Papa non era espressione di un suo giudizio sull’Islam ma solo una citazione storica dal Medioevo.
Roma, 17 Settembre 2006
+ Camillo Ballin
Vescovo della Chiesa cattolica in Kuwait
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