The Pope, yet again, stands up to the oppresion of Islamic law and demands reform and recognition. G-d bless him and keep him alive.
Pope to Turkish Gov't: Grant Catholic Church Full Legal Recognition AINA hat tip Daryl
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI asked the government of Turkey to grant full legal recognition to the Catholic Church and to establish a formal dialogue with the nation's Catholic bishops to work out concrete problems.
[...]"I have no doubt that your government will do everything in its power to advance in this direction," the pope told the new ambassador.
The lack of legal status sometimes has made it difficult for the Catholic Church and other Christian communities to own and buy property officially and to build or operate churches, schools and hospitals.
Much of Pope Benedict's speech to the ambassador and the ambassador's speech to the pope focused on the success of the pope's Nov. 28-Dec. 1 visit to Turkey and on Catholic-Muslim relations.
The pope said the trip gave him an opportunity to demonstrate "the respect of the Catholic Church for Islam and the esteem of the pope and the faithful for Muslim believers."
"In the modern world, where tensions seem to be exacerbated, the conviction of the Holy See, which you also have expressed, is that believers of different religions must endeavor to work together for peace," the pope said.
The first and necessary step, Pope Benedict said, is for all believers to "denounce violence, which too often in the past has been used under the pretext of religious motivations."
Catholics and Muslims must get to know each other better and increase their respect for each other "to build a more fraternal society," he said.
"The religions also can unite their efforts to act on behalf of respect for the human person, created in the image of the almighty, and to promote the recognition of the fundamental values which should govern the path of persons and societies," he said.
Interreligious dialogue, the pope said, begins with people's everyday lives and their demonstration of respect and esteem for each other and for each other's faith.
