Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Pope does U-turn on Turkey's accession to the EU. Islam is a "religion of peace", he says
BBC: ... 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."

During his airport meeting with Mr Erdogan, the pontiff gave Turkey support for its bid to enter the European Union, the prime minister said. Pope begins landmark Turkey visit

NZZ: Papst Benedikt XVI. ist es zum Auftakt seines Besuches in der Türkei offenbar gelungen, seinen Gastgeber positiv zu stimmen. Ministerpräsident Erdogan interpretierte Aussagen des Papstes als Zustimmung zum EU-Beitritt der Türkei. Auch sei dieser der Auffassung, dass der Islam eine «Religion des Friedens» sei. Erdogan erfreut über Papst-Aussagen

Times Online Slide Show: The Pope visits Turkey
Mark Alexander

5 comments:

Aunty Belle said...

Don't believe it, sugar pie--remeber how the BBC said this summer that the Vatican would lift the celibacy rule...was a wishful think on the part of the BBC--and so is this--Pope Benedict XVI is 1000% *against* Turkey in the EU.

Aunty Belle said...

Hey--take a look here to see chunk of what is said--that Islam & Islam's GOd is different from Christian God the Father who is the lover of mankind...

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53128

Mark said...

Auny Belle:

Welcome! But for your information, my name is not "sugar pie", as endearing as that is, it's Mark!

Thank you for that link to World Net Daily.

Believe it or not, although the Pope has always been against Turkey's entry into Europe, he has actually said that he is not now in principle against Turkey's accession to the Union. He has also called Islam a "religion of love"! What are we to make of these pronouncements?

Aunty Belle said...

Mark, youse unhappy when an ole' biddy calls ya "sugar pie"? What does yore granny call ya??

Gracious.

The thang is, this heah pope is very precise--he is an academic, ya see, and his words is carefully chosen--

Fer example, in "principle" Turkey is a secular nation, while in practice it is Islamic. On "principle" there is no reason that a secular nation cannot be admitted ter the EU when that nation is touching EU, has a past Western history, is part of NATO, etc....BUT,
as the Pope has said about a dozen times, in *practice*, Turkey is not living up to its principles, or its history, thus it is not ready for EU, nor is EU ready for it.

But as yore reader Eleanor notes, the Pope wnet to Turkey at the request of BartholomewI on account of how oppressed those Orthodox folks is--and Bartholomew is hopin' ter get some relief by having the Pope highlight his plight--all this has a good side--mayhap, that Benedict and Barth will come to some understanding that ALL Christians better hang togehter or be overwhelmed by Islam.

Mark said...

Aunty Belle:

Youz got a whole lotta humour there! My granny doesn't call me anything anymore. Sadly, she expired long ago!

ALL Christians better hang togehter or be overwhelmed by Islam

Too royal!