I haven’t found much to like about this pontiff, but I agree with his latest moves.
On inter-religious and cross-cultural dialogue:
[quote=“BBC: Pope calls for religious exchange”]Pope Benedict XVI has called for an “authentic dialogue” between Christians and Muslims in a speech at Turkey’s directorate of religious affairs.
He said the exchange must be “based on truth and inspired by a sincere wish to know one another better”.
[…]
Speaking to an academic audience in Germany, the Pope quoted a Byzantine emperor who characterised Islam as a violent religion.
The Pope told the prime minister he wanted to visit Turkey because it was a bridge between religions and cultures.
“I want to reiterate the solidarity between the cultures,” he said. “This is our duty.”
While in Turkey, Benedict will become only the second pontiff to visit a mosque, and will also meet Islamic and Jewish leaders as well as the heads of Turkey’s Christian communities.[/quote]
And on the political front:
[quote=“NYT: Pope Backs Turkey’s Bid to Join Europe”]Pope Benedict XVI came to Turkey on Tuesday carrying a surprise gesture of goodwill aimed at blunting Muslim anger toward him: he blessed Turkey’s long-stalled desire to join the European Union, reversing his position of two years ago.
Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told reporters after a brief meeting with Benedict at the airport here that he had asked the pope to support Turkey in its attempts to become a member of the European Union.
“He said, ‘You know we don’t have a political role, but we wish for Turkey’s entry into the E.U.,’ ” Mr. Erdogan said the pope told him. “His wish is a positive recommendation for us.”
Although the Vatican does not play a formal role in the European Union, the pope’s gesture was nonetheless a piece of political stagecraft at a delicate time both in relations between Muslims and the West and in Benedict’s own damaged reputation among Muslims.
Long before he angered the Muslim world two months ago with a speech criticized as equating Islam with violence, Benedict was disliked here because of comments he made, as a cardinal in 2004, opposing Turkey’s membership in the European Union. As the successor to the Ottoman Empire, Turkey had always stood, he said at the time, “in permanent contrast to Europe.”
But the 79-year-old pope’s concession on Tuesday, at the start of a four-day trip here, seemed to make good on his pledge to heal the wounds between East and West. It may also have the practical effect of tamping down anger here, which led to thick security on Tuesday, with helicopters hovering at the airport, commandoes guarding the pope’s plane and sharpshooters on the roofs of buildings.
It is unclear what effect the pope’s reversal will have on the fraught debate in Western Europe over Turkey’s membership, especially among conservatives who shared the views he expressed as a cardinal two years ago. Much of that opposition is rooted in the increased tension between the West and Islam, including fears of more terrorist attacks in Europe and the already difficult integration of millions of Muslims into Europe.[/quote]
It’s going to take a whole lot more than this to get Turkish-EU talks back on track, but perhaps this will start the ball rolling. With Iraq unravelling, and potential troubles between Turkey and the Kurds, the sooner Turkish-EU talks get moving, the better.