My latest in PJ Media (written before it was revealed that the Iraqi government barred Jews from attending the interfaith gathering):
Pope Francis went to Iraq today and met with Iraq’s principal Shi’ite leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and, according to the Associated Press, “delivered a powerful message of peaceful coexistence Saturday, urging Muslims in the war-weary Arab nation to embrace Iraq’s long-beleaguered Christian minority during an historic meeting in the holy city of Najaf.” That’s great, but the pope also conspicuously omitted mention of Jesus, not uttering the name even once, and thereby revealing what is wrong with all these “Muslim-Christian Dialogue” initiatives: They’re long on Islam, and short on Christianity.
After meeting Sistani, the pope went on to the ancient city of Ur, which is traditionally considered to be the birthplace of the biblical patriarch Abraham. With this backdrop, Francis said what everyone expected him to say: “From this place, where faith was born, from the land of our father Abraham, let us affirm that God is merciful and that the greatest blasphemy is to profane his name by hating our brothers and sisters. Hostility, extremism and violence are not born of a religious heart: they are betrayals of religion.”
According to Church Militant, “In his lengthy address, Francis did not mention ‘Jesus’ even once, and the prayer concluding the event did not use the standard trinitarian formula or end in ‘the name of Jesus.’” As I explained to that publication, Jesus was not mentioned, for as always, interreligious dialogue involving Muslims and Christians requires Christians move closer to the Islamic position, not any genuine give-and-take or mutuality.
This omission was clearly intended to appease the Pope’s Muslim hosts. Another indication of the real situation behind this outwardly happy gathering was the fact that, according to AP, there were no Jewish leaders present at the “Abrahamic” gathering: “The Vatican said Iraqi Jews were invited to the event but did not attend, without providing further details. Iraq’s ancient Jewish community was decimated in the 20th century by violence and mass emigration fueled by the Arab-Israeli conflict, and only a handful remain.”
AP doesn’t further elucidate why the Jewish community in Iraq was decimated, or note that the Jewish community in Iraq was not just “decimated,” but forcibly expelled. It doesn’t come close to explaining why the existence of the State of Israel was considered grounds for that expulsion: In Islamic theology, a subjugated non-Muslim people that wants its own state has become kuffar harbi, infidels at war with Islam, and thus to be expelled or killed. Iraq’s Jews need not have expressed any desire to emigrate to Israel for this to be so….
There is more. Read the rest here.
Mike says
the pope just another Useful idiot for Islam
by the pope omitting words is proof
Uma Maheswar Nakka says
Yes Sir,
Very true.
Regards
Uma
mortimer says
The pope is a ‘DHIMMI’ who submits to Islam without even being threatened. The so-called ‘Abrahamic faiths’ narrative is in fact ‘DHIMMI THEOLOGY’ invented by a partly-Muslimized Lebanese theologian whose intention was to create peaceful coexistence by selling out the obligation of Christian evangelism.
All that Christians gain from such ‘dialogue’ is temporary truces that Muslims may break at any moment with no consequences and then, it’s back to the drawing board for the Christians who want to live in peace without persecution from the Muslims. Violent jihad against Christians is periodic and even systemic wherever Muslims are in the majority.
JamesC. says
Christians gain nothing good from such garbage. The whole event was an exercise in submitting to Mahometanism, a cult which is as historically bogus as Mormonism. The only gainer, as usual, was Mahometanism.
And Bergoglio is offering false worship – for there is (from a Catholic POV) no religion in which it is legitimate for Christians and Mahometans to offer prayers in common. Theologically, they might as well be worshipping the true God, and the cat-goddess Bastet: the two do not mix. Bergoglio, at least, is committing syncretism – which is a scandalous of the First Commandment, and as much a sin when a Pope commits as if a peon does so. He is committing a grave sin of superstition, and thereby leading people astray. He can damn himself, if he absolutely insists – but he has absolutely no right to endanger the salvation of anyone else. For the NT Church, Jesus Christ is Lord and King – for Bergoglio, He seems to be no such thing. Bergoglio has denied Christ. By allowing that Pukeymama garbage at a Roman Synod, and by committing syncretism.
As to what the Mahometan intended – for Islam, does this kind of thing come under undesirable but allowable behaviour ?
I blame JP2 for setting the intial bad example, with his 1986 Assisi Abomination. It is beyond atrocious that Ratzinger and Bergoglio have followed in his footsteps.
As for the Great Commission, that seems to have sunk with trace. Seek the conversion of Jews to Christ ? Not any more – and that is official CC practice. It would not surprise me one jot if Rome has, in practice, dumped all efforts to seek the conversion of Mahometans as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if a Roman document deploring the very notion of seeking the conversion of Mahometans comes out sooner rather than later.
gravenimage says
Good analysis, Mortimer.
James Lincoln says
JamesC,
I must confess, I had to look up the word “syncretism”.
A perfect word to describe what “dope Frankie” is trying to accomplish with Christianity / islam…
Stay Away From Islam says
Exactly true. My idiot pope should know that given the chance Sistani, a disciple of Satan and all that is evil, would chop the pontiff’s head off given half the chance. Negotiating and talking to scum like Sistani is equal to putting you head in the jaws of a hungry lion. It’s only a matter of time before the jaws clamp down. Such stupidity from the socialist pope.
Uma Maheswar Nakka says
Good Evening,
It is very strange, how Pope ignored Jews!!!
Something fishy.
Regards
Uma
mortimer says
The pope cannot speak for Judaism’s attitude towards Islam. Jewish theologian Jon D. Levenson does so in “Inheriting Abraham: The Legacy of the Patriarch in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam”:
“Muslims begin with a different text, a different story—and, as a result, arguably a very different Abraham.”
Levinson throws cold water on the mutual-understanding campfire … it is wrong to present Abraham as a unifying figure who transcends the differences among Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The progressive wings of Christianity as well as Judaism have a great deal invested in this reassuring claim.
Koranic ‘Ibrahim’ actually promotes hatred, hostility and jihad against Jews and Christians … not a very good promoter of co-existence.
Michael Copeland says
“between us and you enmity and hatred forever…”, as Ibrahim said, in Koran 60:4.
gravenimage says
+1
mortimer says
Robert Spencer’s sums up what is wrong with Muslim-Christian dialogues in general: “long on Islam, and short on Christianity.”
It is ‘bad manners’ to raise the many dilemmas in the Islamic source texts that are self-referentially incoherent in Islam and incoherent with reference to Christianity.
Most of the Koran can be read as an attack upon Christianity. The Koran’s relentless attacks against Christians combined with calls for jihad against Christians can only lead to Dhimmitude of Christians, rather than any genuine live-and-let-live coexistence.
Only a non-practicing, non-jihadic Muslim society can truly coexist with Christians. Hard-core practicing Muslims are concerned with their obligation of jihad and cannot practice co-existence except as a temporary measure to lull Christians into a false sense of security before a major push to subjugate and subdue them with jihadic aggression.
b.a. freeman says
“Only a non-practicing, non-jihadic Muslim society can truly coexist with Christians.”
—
so true, mortimer. even then, unfortunately, all it takes is one pious muslim to point out the errors of their misunderstood religion to the non-jihadists for the jihad to resume in earnest.
+1
gravenimage says
In other words, only a non-Muslim Muslim society can truly coexist with Christians (or any other Infidels).
David Longfellow says
This pope is a scumbag, plain and simple. He harkens back to the days of popes encouraging indulgences and taking concubines.
Not to mention that he is an anti-semite.
mortimer says
To mention Jesus in such a dialogue would immediately place him in a position inferior to that of Mohammed. Muslims love this trick of pretending they love the inferior, ‘dhimmi’ Jesus who submits to Mohammed. Koranic ‘Issa’ recommends jihad against Christians, so there is almost nothing ‘Christian’ about him, except for the title of ‘messiah’ which the Koran never explains.
somehistory says
“revealing what is wrong with all these “Muslim-Christian Dialogue” initiatives: They’re long on Islam, and short on Christianity.”
What is “Wrong” is that they happen at all. The Bible clearly says not to be having a “sharing” with demons.
Jesus said not to “throw pearls before swine nor give what is holy to dogs.”
The pope is not Christian, however, and does not represent Christ, so he can meet with the swine and dogs all he wants to. Christians are fully aware that he is not doing according to what is commanded in God’s Word and does not represent them to the world. He’s just another “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” a false shepherd and a large “part of the world,” of which Christians are not.
b.a. freeman says
“The pope is not Christian…”
—
it can’t be put any better than that, somehistory; thank U.
+1
somehistory says
Thank you.
gravenimage says
Is the Pope Catholic? This used to be a joke, but these days it has a very grim answer…
john smith says
Absolutely spot on Somehistory, the pope is not a Christian. In fact he is a puppet of George Soros {according to wikileaks} Who apparently paid the Vatican hierarchy thousands to have him installed and pope Benedict removed.
somehistory says
Thank you. and thanks for the wikileaks info. Sounds like the Truth.
Jean Terry says
The pope is not representing Jesus if he won’t mention His name and tell them that the only way to the Father is through the Son.
JamesC. says
That Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, needs saying. It is not negotiable, ever. Christians have lost their heads, been shot or been drowned, for refusing to deny Christ – why do the Popes deny Christ, instead of insisting to Muslims that Jesus Christ is the only Way to the Father ? Of course He is the only Way, because He alone is the Universal King. At the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father – so Mahometans can acknowledge Him as Lord, either willingly, or because they will have to do so. It’s their choice – and Bergoglio’s.
James Lincoln says
Fraudulent “Pope” Frankie should take off the cross necklace – and be done with it…
gravenimage says
Pope Meets Ayatollah Sistani, Holds the Christianity
………………
Sadly, I don’t think we expected othewise at this point…
Tony Naim says
“Hostility, extremism and violence are not born of a religious heart: they are betrayals of religion.”
Without mentioning his name, Jesus would have been as diplomatic as the Pope. In other words, The Pope told his hosts: what’s wrong with you people, your religion is so f&$ked up.I thought Robert Spencer was smart enough to read in between the lines?
gravenimage says
Tony, why should the Pope have to speak between the lines when it comes to Islam? Why should he have to pretend that Islam is peaceful?
Jesus actually spoke quite openly about standing against evil.