9 May 2009

AMMAN: Pope Benedict XVI visited an Arab state for the first time yesterday, expressing his “deep respect” for Islam and hopes that the Catholic Church would be a force for peace in the region.

The pope was given a red-carpet welcome at the airport by Jordan’s King Abdallah and Queen Rania. He praised Jordan as a leader in efforts to promote peace and dialogue between Christians and Muslims. An honor guard played bagpipes and waved Jordanian and Vatican flags.

The trip to the region is the first for the German-born Benedict, who will travel on Monday to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The pope has faced sharp criticism in the Middle East from both Muslims and Jews.

Benedict angered the Muslim world three years ago when he quoted a Medieval text that criticized the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Earlier this year, he sparked outrage among Jews when he revoked the excommunication of an ultraconservative bishop who denies the Holocaust.

“My visit to Jordan gives me a welcome opportunity to speak of my deep respect for the Muslim community, and to pay tribute to the leadership shown by his majesty the king in promoting a better understanding of the virtues proclaimed by Islam,” Benedict said shortly after landing in Jordan.

He said Jordan was in the forefront of efforts to promote peace, inter-religious dialogue and to “curb extremism.” Later at a Catholic center for the handicapped, he said his only agenda was to bring hope and prayers “for the precious gift of unity and peace, most specifically for the Middle East.”

The pope also called religious freedom a fundamental human right. “It is my fervent hope and prayer that respect for the inalienable rights and dignity of every man and woman will come to be increasingly affirmed and defended, not only throughout the Middle East, but in every part of the world,” he said.

The king, queen and their four children later met the pope at the royal offices in Husseinyeh west of Amman.

Welcoming the pope, King Abdallah urged expanded Christian-Muslim dialogue to dispel “divisions.” He stressed the “importance of coexistence and harmony between Muslims and Christians,” and warned that “voices of provocation, ambitious ideologies of division, threaten unspeakable suffering.”

“We welcome your commitment to dispel the misconceptions and divisions that have harmed relations between Christians and Muslims ... It is my hope that together we can expand the dialogue we have opened,” the king said.

En route to Amman, the pope told journalists that interfaith dialogue is “very important for peace so that everyone can follow the tenets of their faith.”

Before landing in Amman, Benedict expressed hope his visit would help further peace efforts between Israelis and Palestinians. “We are not a political power but a spiritual power that can contribute,” Benedict told reporters aboard the plane.

The traditional news conference was scaled down with the Vatican spokesman asking the questions based on previously submitted questions from reporters. In the past, some of his answers have stirred controversy, but he appeared to avoid that.

Asked about Catholic-Jewish relations, he said the two religions had common roots and that it should be “no surprise” that there were misunderstandings during 2,000 years of history.

Benedict’s first stop was the Regina Pacis center for the handicapped in Amman where the crowd sang songs and chanted “benvenuto,” the Italian for “welcome.” Today he will follow in the footsteps of John Paul II in 2000 to Mount Nebo. The papal visit will end with a prayer at Wadi Kharrar on the east bank of the River Jordan. He will then leave for Tel Aviv. The pope will also visit Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday. The Coalition for Jerusalem, an alliance of Palestinian advocacy groups, on Thursday urged the pope in an open letter to denounce what they called “yet another wave of Israel’s ethnic cleansing crimes” against their people. But the pope is unlikely to want to further strain relations with Israel.