Pope Benedict XVI

[Khorsheed]

This Pope is ONE busy Pope. . .

[Khorsheed]

Pope holds Mass at ancient Christian site in Turkey

Pope Benedict XVI held a Mass today at one of the holiest Christian places in Turkey as part of his efforts to reach out to the Roman Catholic minority in a mostly Muslim country.

The pontiff conducted the open-air Mass next to a house where the Virgin Mary is thought to have spent her last years.

Security forces sealed off the area and only 250 people attended the event, making it one of the smallest crowds to attend a papal Mass.

[Rasputin]

Pope makes Turkish mosque visit

Pope Benedict XVI has visited one of Turkey's most famous mosques in what is being seen as an attempt to mend relations with the Muslim community.
During his tour of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, the pontiff paused in silent prayer alongside senior Muslim clerics.

It marks only the second papal visit in history to a Muslim place of worship.

Earlier, the Pope visited the nearby Hagia Sophia Museum, a site heavy with Christian and Muslim symbolism, drawing protests on the street.

The Pope spent half an hour in Hagia Sophia, a domed complex that was once a Christian centre before becoming a mosque and eventually, a museum.


Hundreds of riot police were deployed in Istanbul

Hours earlier, protesters linked to an Islamist-nationalist party had demonstrated about a kilometre away, saying the pontiff's tour was an affront to the secularism enshrined in Turkey's constitution, as well as an attempt to stake a Catholic claim to the site.

The demonstrators warned that any hint of a prayer there would be deeply offensive, but the Pope refrained from any religious gesture, such as praying or crossing himself.

The tour of the Blue Mosque - across the square from Hagia Sophia - was a last-minute addition to the schedule.

Having removed his shoes, the Pope paused for a full two minutes, eyes closed in prayer, standing side-by-side with the Mufti of Istanbul and the Imam of the Blue Mosque.

Pope Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, is the only other pontiff to have visited a mosque, during a trip to Damascus in 2001.

ISTANBUL'S FAMOUS SITES
Blue Mosque: built in 1616 on Sultan Ahmet I's orders
John Paul II is the only other Pope to have entered a mosque
Hagia Sophia: built in 6th century as a church
converted to a mosque in 1453, a museum since 1935

The visit by Pope Benedict was seen as an attempt to repair the damage his comments on Islam in September caused across the Muslim world.

Speaking to an academic audience in Germany, the Pope quoted a Byzantine emperor who characterised Islam as a violent religion.

While the Pope insisted the remarks did not reflect his personal views, the speech was widely reported and caused anger across the Islamic world.

Since arriving in Turkey on Tuesday, he has offered wide-ranging messages of reconciliation to Muslims, including appeals for support for Turkey's bid to join the EU - which would make it the first member with a majority Muslim population.

'Balancing act'

The BBC's David Willey says the Pope has been performing a delicate balancing act between creating better relations with the Orthodox Church, while also reaching out to Muslims.


Patriarch Bartholomew and the Pope exchange the kiss of peace

The pontiff began Wednesday with a liturgical celebration by the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.

A prime reason for Pope Benedict's visit to Turkey has been to heal the centuries-old rift between the two Churches.

Patriarch Bartholomew and the Pope embraced during the service.

"The divisions which exist among Christians are a scandal to the world," the Pope said after the meeting.

[Rasputin]

عکس: رهبر کاتوليکهای جهان در ترکيه

روز سه شنبه، 28 نوامبر، پاپ بنديکت شانزدهم برای ديداری چهار روزه ای وارد آنکارا، پايتخت ترکيه شد.


اين نخستين ديدار رهبر کليسای کاتوليک از يک کشور با اکثريت جمعيت مسلمان است



ديدار پاپ از آرامگاه مصفطی کمال پاشا (آتاتورک)، بنيانگذار ترکيه نوين.



ديدار با احمد نجدت سزر، رئيس جمهور ترکيه. رهبر کليسای کاتوليک طی چهار روز اقامت در ترکيه با مقامات دولتی اين کشور ديدار می کند.



هنگام ورود پاپ به فرودگاه آنکارا، رجب طيب اردوغان، نخست وزير ترکيه، که قبلا گفته بود که به دليل کثرت مشغله، نخواهد توانست با وی ملاقات کند، رسما از پاپ استقبال کرد.


ديدار با علی بارداق اغلو، بالاترين مقام مذهبی دولتی ترکيه. پاپ بنديکت شانزدهم قرار است با رهبر کليسای ارتدوکس در استانبول نيز ديدار کند.



سفر پاپ به ترکيه در ميان تدابير شديد امنيتی صورت گرفته است. در ماه های اخير، اظهارات وی درباره اسلام به برگزاری تظاهرات گسترده در ميان مسلمانان، از جمله در ترکيه، منجر شد.

[Khorsheed]

Blair tells Vatican to 'face up to reality' on condoms

Tony Blair has told religious leaders to "face up to reality" and drop their opposition to condoms to help the fight against Aids.

In a pointed criticism of the Vatican's stance on contraception, Mr Blair used a television interview on World Aids Day to insist that preaching abstinence was not enough. Speaking to MTV, Mr Blair said: "The danger is if we have a sort of blanket ban from religious hierarchy saying it's wrong to do it, then you discourage people from doing it in circumstances where they need to protect their lives."

Mr Blair, who has attended mass at Westminster Cathedral, spoke out amid speculation that the Vatican was preparing to ease its opposition to condoms. The Vatican says abstinence is the best way to tackle HIV/Aids, but in April, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, the former Archbishop of Milan, said the use of condoms was "a lesser evil" in relationships where one partner had HIV/Aids, prompting speculation that the Vatican was preparing to relax its position.

Last month, a 200-page report on condom use commissioned by Pope Benedict was passed to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Vatican has been heavily criticised for its stance on sex and homosexuality.

Mr Blair insisted that the Government would increase the number of condoms distributed in the developing world. He said: "We are spending £1.5bn over the next few years trying to fight HIV/Aids. It's also very important that we work on prevention, and we are planning to uplift the amount of condoms that we will be distributing too. They may be sex workers, they may be women in a difficult situation. If they don't get that help, there's no point in being prissy about it, then they end up with HIV/Aids."
Mr Blair said that he and his wife had taught the "facts of life" to their children as a couple.

"When I was growing up it was more to do with telling youngsters about the actual act of sex. I think what it is about now is telling them about the dangers of having unprotected sex," he said.

Mr Blair insisted that people should be encouraged to protect themselves against HIV, and that it was "silly" to say otherwise.

He said: "I think that the real key to it is education. That is about two things: educating people about sex when they are young, but also making sure that if people are sexually active, then they are taking protection. There is a big debate about this; how far are you going by saying to people, 'take protection with you'? Are you encouraging young people to have sex?" Mr Blair added: "You should try to encourage people to be responsible, but you should recognise that, if you are sexually active, it's better to be sexually active and responsibly so."

[Khorsheed]

Pope leaves Turkey after reaching out to Muslims

Pope Benedict XVI left Turkey on Friday after a momentous visit in which he reached out to Muslims and Orthodox Christians while standing firm on key issues such as papal authority and Europe's Christian roots.

Coming a mere 10 weeks after the leader of the world's 1,1-billion Catholics outraged Muslims by appearing to equate Islam with violence, the four-day trip -- Pope Benedict's first to a Muslim country -- turned into a fence-mending mission.

Adding drama to diplomacy, the 79-year-old pope made a stunning conciliatory gesture on Thursday when he assumed an attitude of Muslim prayer while facing Mecca in Istanbul's Blue Mosque.

The moment was "even more meaningful than an apology" for the remarks in September, said the mufti of Istanbul, Mustafa Cagrici, who was the pope's guide during the mosque visit.

The two men, clad in long white robes, stood motionless for about two minutes, their hands crossed on their stomachs in a classic Muslim prayer attitude known as "the posture of tranquillity".

"It was something beautiful, a gesture on his part," Cagrici told the Turkish daily Sabah.

In entering the mosque, Pope Benedict became only the second Roman Catholic pope to do so since the groundbreaking visit of his predecessor John Paul II to the great Ummayad Mosque in Damascus in 2001.

The 79-year-old pontiff said before his departure that he hoped his visit would contribute to a "better understanding" between religions.

The visit saw unprecedented security measures -- even tighter than those laid on for United States President George Bush in 2004 -- with large swathes of Istanbul closed down as the routes taken by the pope's motorcade were kept secret.

Even before the controversy over his remarks on Islam, Pope Benedict faced an uphill struggle to win over the Turks, having been considered the "anti-Turkish pope" for opposing Ankara's bid to join the European Union.

Turkey in the EU, he had said while still Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, would be "a grave error ... against the tide of history".

He dealt with this by making a stunning U-turn on the issue moments after descending from his plane on his arrival in Ankara on Tuesday, offering his support for the troubled candidacy in remarks to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

But he added two provisos on Thursday, saying respect for religious freedom must be a criterion for entry into the EU and calling on the bloc to ensure that its members respect the rights of their religious minorities.

It was a clear reference to complaints by the Orthodox Patriarchate of restrictions imposed on it by Turkey, including the closure of a theological seminary and the confiscation of a number of properties from Christian foundations.

Pope Benedict also returned to a familiar position when he called for a renewal of "Europe's awareness of its Christian roots, traditions and values".

The main purpose of the long-planned trip and a priority of Pope Benedict's papacy -- seeking reconciliation between the Western and Eastern rites of Christianity -- was symbolised by a Saint Andrew's Day mass on Thursday.

Saint Andrew is the Orthodox Church's patron saint who was a disciple of Jesus and the brother of Saint Peter, considered the first Catholic pope.

After meetings with Bartholomew I, spiritual leader of about 150-million Orthodox faithful, the pope described as a "scandal to the world" the schism between the feuding Christian branches dating back nearly a millennium.

But he remained steadfast on a major point of disagreement -- papal authority -- when he stressed the Vatican's "universal" role. -- Sapa-AFP

[Rasputin]

Pope Benedict XVI Expresses Admiration for Muslims

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI expressed his admiration for Muslims and Islam on Wednesday, and called for freedom of religion and faith that rejects all forms of violence.

The pontiff, who returned Friday from the four-day visit to Turkey that included a stop at Istanbul's Blue Mosque, discussed his trip during his weekly audience at the Vatican.

As a secular state with a predominantly Muslim population, Turkey is an emblem of the challenge for much of the world, Benedict said.

"On one side, it is necessary to rediscover the reality of God and public importance of religious faith, on the other to assure that the expression of faith is free, devoid of fundamentalist degeneration, capable of firmly repudiating any form of violence," the pontiff said.

"I therefore was given the propitious occasion to renew my sentiments of esteem for Muslims and the Islamic civilization," Benedict added. "At the same time I was able to insist on the importance that Christians and Muslims work together for mankind, for life, for peace and for justice."

[Rasputin]

Christmas is reminder of greatest gift ever given, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Making, buying and giving gifts at Christmas should be a reminder of Christ, the greatest gift ever given to humanity, Pope Benedict XVI said.


Meeting Dec. 14 with Rome university students after they attended an evening Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, the pope said it is right to consider Christmas "the feast of gifts."

"Christmas gifts remind us of the gift par excellence, that which the son of God made of himself in the Incarnation," the pope told the students from state and private universities in Rome.

Exchanging gifts at Christmas time has real meaning only if it is a symbol of "the principal gift" remembered as people celebrate the birth of Jesus, he said.

Pope Benedict urged the Italian young people not only to "fix your gaze on the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in the manger," but also to contemplate and adore him in the Eucharist.

"Under the appearance of a small piece of bread," the pope told the students, "it is Jesus who gives himself and who wants to enter into our hearts."

"In the manger at Bethlehem, we adore the same Lord who, in the eucharistic sacrament, wanted to be our spiritual food in order to transform the world from the inside, beginning from the human heart," Pope Benedict said.

[Rasputin]

Remember Christ at Christmas

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict urged the world on Sunday not to shut Christ out of Christmas.

Speaking at his Sunday blessing the Pope returned to a theme that has preoccupied him -- the commercialization of Christmas.

"May his birth not find us busy celebrating Christmas forgetting that he (Jesus) is the very person at the center of the feast," he told thousands of pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square on Christmas Eve.

Ahead of the second Christmas of his pontificate he urged his listeners to remember the many people around the world who would pass it "in solitude, in sickness and in suffering".

The real spirit of Christmas was a commitment to "overcome prejudices, break down barriers and eliminate situations that pit individuals and people against each other in order to build a world of justice and peace together", the Pope said.

In recent weeks he has spoken out against the decision by some state schools in Italy not to build the traditional nativity scene for fear of offending non-Christians in a multi-racial population.

The Vatican's own larger-than-life nativity scene -- featuring figures of the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, animals and three kings bearing gifts -- was due to be unveiled in St. Peter's Square on Sunday afternoon.

The Pope will celebrate midnight mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Christendom's largest church, for thousands of people. Large television screens have been put up in the square for those who do not find room inside.

On Monday he will deliver his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message and blessing to crowds in St. Peter's Square.

[Rasputin]

Thousands Gather in Vatican to Celebrate Christmas

Pope Benedict addressed pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square this Sunday and said that the celebration of Holy Christmas is now imminent. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome.

A long applause broke out in Saint Peter's Square Sunday when Pope Benedict appeared at his study window. He told those gathered that today's vigil prepares us to live intensely the mystery that this night will help us contemplate with the eyes of faith.

Pope Benedict said the Christmas of Christ helps people understand the importance of the life of every human being, from first instance to natural death.

The pope also urged the faithful to be committed to overcome prejudice, knock down barriers and eliminate divisions to build together a world of justice and peace. The pope then greeted the faithful in various languages.

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent and also, this year, Christmas Eve. The Liturgy of today's celebration invites all believers to welcome joyfully the promised Messiah who comes to us through the Virgin Mary.

Thousands of Romans and tourists are expected to turn out tonight at the Vatican for Pope Benedict's second midnight mass. Millions more will be watching the service on television around the world.

The mass in Saint Peter's Basilica will celebrate the birth of Jesus. The pope will then address the faithful again on Christmas Day and deliver his Urbi et Orbi message and blessing.

[Rasputin]

Pope meets Iran's Mottaki, urges dialogue

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict met Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Wednesday and called for dialogue to overcome conflicts, in an apparent reference to Tehran's standoff with the West over its atomic programme.

The comments came on the day that Iran's parliament passed a bill obliging the government to "revise" the level of its cooperation with the IAEA nuclear watchdog and urging President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to "accelerate Iran's nuclear activities".

The Vatican said in a statement that the Pope exchanged "warm wishes" with Mottaki.

"The problems of people are always resolved through dialogue, mutual comprehension and in peace," the Vatican said.

Mottaki, during a private audience with the leader of the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics, delivered a letter to the Pope from Ahmadinejad.

"The message is completely non-political," Ehsan Jahandideh, a presidential office spokesman was quoted as saying by Iran's ISNA students news agency.

"The president has emphasised in the message that cooperation of divine religions will help resolving problems of mankind," it said.

In his message for the Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, celebrated on January 1, the Pope expressed concern that more countries wanted to become nuclear powers. He did not specifically mention Iran or North Korea.

He said the desire of some states to acquire nuclear weapons had thrown humanity back to the "profound anxieties of the Cold War period".

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday to impose sanctions on Iran's trade in sensitive nuclear materials and technology, in an attempt to stop uranium enrichment work that could produce material that could be used in bombs.

Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons.

[Rasputin]

پاپ بنديكت شانزدهم كه به دليل سخنراني توهين آميز خود عليه اسلام خشم مسلمانان را برانگيخت جايزه سخنراني سال يك دانشگاه آلماني را از آن خود كرد.


به گزارش شبكه خبر به نفل از باشگاه خبرنگاران پاپ بنديكت شانزدهم كه به دليل سخنراني توهين آميز خود عليه اسلام خشم مسلمانان را برانگيخت جايزه سخنراني سال يك دانشگاه آلماني را از آن خود كرد.

به نوشته روزنامه « نيويورك تايمز » در شماره روز گذشته جايزه مذكور از سوي يك دانشگاه بسيار معتبر آلمان همه ساله به برترين « سخنراني تاثيرگذار » يك آلماني اعطا مي شود.

دانشگاه مذكور در بيانيه خود آورده است : « موضوع اصلي اين سخنراني در خصوص ارتباط بين عقل و ايمان در مسيحيت بود اما به عمد مورد سو تفاهم قرار گرفت » .

پاپ در سخنراني خود به نقل از يك امپراطور قرن 14 دوران بيزانس گفته بود كه اسلام به جز اعمال شيطاني چيزي براي دنيا به ارمغان نياورده است .

[Rasputin]

Pope Benedict XVI awards Kuwait ambassador grand badge of honor

VATICAN CITY, Jan 10 (KUNA) -- Pope Benedict XVI awarded Kuwait Ambassador to the state of Vatican Ahmed Abdul-Karim al-Ibrahim a grand badge of honor Wednesday in recognition of his effort to enhance Kuwait-Vatican ties.

The Vatican City assigned three days for the farewell ceremonies of al-Ibrahim who ended his tenure as Kuwait top diplomat to the Vatican.

Vatican Foreign Minister Pope Monsieur Mapriti handed Al-Ibrahim the "Grand Cross of Saint Georgiou, the Great" on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI during a ceremony held here for the occasion.

Pope Benedict XVI offered the badge to you as a sign of his personal respect for you and your country, Mapriti said.

He hailed the warm relation between Kuwait and Vatican and praised the effort made by al-Ibrahim to enhance the ties between the two sides and boost dialogue between Islam and Christianity.

For his part, al-Ibrahim conveyed best regards of His Highness Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Muhammad al-Ahmed al-Sabah to Vatican Prime Minister Cardinal Tartchisiu Birtoni.

Kuwait is keen on pushing forward the dialogue and understanding among all religions in the interest of world peace and stability, said al-Ibrahim who represented Kuwait to Vatican since 2000.

He thanked the Catholic Church head for the badge "which is a symbol of Kuwait's role under His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah on the international arena." On Tuesday al-Ibrahim met Vatican deputy foreign minister on the Kuwait-Vatican 40-year old relations, he told KUNA. He is scheduled to meet Pope Benedict XVI who wished to bid him farewell personally on Thursday.

[Rasputin]

دعوت از پاپ براي سفر به تهران

درعين*حال منابعي که از سوي خبرگزاري آپي*کام مورد تماس قرار گرفتند اطمينان دادند که در حال برنا مه*ريزي براي اين ديدار مي*باشند

به نوشته مطبوعات ايتاليا، پاپ بنديکت شانزدهم احتمالا در آينده نه*چندان دور از ايران ديدار به*عمل خواهد آورد.

به گزارش شبكه خبر fcnn ، به نقل از خبرگزاري آپي*کام، اين دعوت در اواسط ژانويه در جريان ديدار پاپ با سفيران کشورهاي خارجي، از سوي محمدجواد فريدزاده، سفير ايران نزد واتيکان، به*طورشفاهي مطرح شده و به *نظر مي*رسد که پاپ نيز با آن موافقت کرده است.

اين خبرگزاري مي*افزايد: هنوز زمان پيش*بيني*شده براي ديدار احتمالي پاپ از ايران مشخص نيست و دولت ايران نيز هنوز دعوت*نامه رسمي ارسال نکرده است، اما درعين*حال منابعي که از سوي خبرگزاري آپي*کام مورد تماس قرار گرفتند اطمينان دادند که در حال برنامه*ريزي براي اين ديدار مي*باشند.

آپي*کام در ادامه مي*نويسد: منابع يادشده همچنين اعلام کردند که دعوت مشابه*اي از سوي "آلبرت ادوارد اسماعيل"، سفير عراق نزد واتيکان به پاپ ارايه شده و پاپ نيز در اين رابطه ابراز علاقه*مندي کرده و گفته است كه "خيلي خوشحال خواهم شد که از کردستان عراق بازديد کنم".

[Rasputin]

Pope Benedict XVI to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 13

Pope Benedict XVI will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin here on March 13 in the highest-level Kremlin-Vatican talks in more than three years, the Holy See said Thursday.

Putin will hold bilateral talks with Italian leaders in southern Italy and will meet Benedict in Rome, said a Vatican spokesman the Rev. Ciro Benedettini.

It will be the first meeting between Benedict and the Russian leader.

When Putin last visited the Vatican, in November 2003, for a meeting with Pope John Paul II, the president said that he wanted to help end the dispute between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church, but he did not invite the pontiff to Moscow, the AP reports.

John Paul died in 2005 without realizing his long-held dream of visiting Russia in the hope of improving relations between Catholic and Orthodox Christians following the fall of Soviet-bloc communism, the AP says.

The Russian Orthodox church had thwarted his dream because it suspects Catholics are looking for converts in its traditional territory, an accusation the Vatican denies. Long-running property disputes between the churches have also fed tensions.

Putin's two predecessors, Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin, had invited John Paul to Russia.