HOLY SEE REPLIES TO LETTER FROM MUSLIM SCHOLARS

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TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KIRF VT
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE REPLIES TO LETTER FROM MUSLIM SCHOLARS

REF: (A) VATICAN 180; (B) VATICAN 165; (C) VATICAN 151

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1. (U) The Holy See has replied to the "A Common Word" letter
from 138 Muslim scholars (reftel A) inviting Pope Benedict XVI
and other Christian leaders to interreligious dialogue.
Released by the Vatican's Press Office November 29, the response
is signed by the Holy See's Secretary of State, Cardinal
Tarcisio Bertone, in the name of Pope Benedict. Paragraph 3
contains the text of the Holy See's response.


2. (SBU) Comment: Post shares the Holy See's view of "A Common
Word" as a useful tool to promote international religious
freedom (reftel B) and had encouraged the Vatican to consider a
public and timely response. We are positive about the Holy
See's reply, even if it is cautious about the type of engagement
it wishes to pursue -- pointing out that differences between
Christians and Muslims should not be ignored or downplayed.
Cardinal Bertone's letter includes an invitation for Jordan's
Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, Chairman of the Board of
Trustees of the Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, to
meet with the Pope. Cardinal Bertone also proposes a working
group meeting between their respective delegations. We have
partnered in the past with the Pontifical Institutes that
Bertone mentions (the Jesuits' Gregorian University, and the
Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies) and have a
good working relationship with them. The caveats to the Holy
See's engagement, already advanced in Bertone's letter, will
likely come from Cardinal Tauran (President of the Pontifical
Council for Interreligious Dialogue) and by others in the
Vatican (reftel C). We will continue to engage the Holy See on
the issue, and welcome other posts' reporting on reactions to
the Vatican's response. End comment.


3. (U) Text of the letter:



His Royal Highness
Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal
The Royal Palace
Amman
Jordan

From the Vatican, November 19, 2007

Your Royal Highness,

On 13 October 2007 an open letter addressed to His Holiness Pope
Benedict XVI and to other Christian leaders was signed by one
hundred and thirty-eight Muslim religious leaders, including
Your Royal Highness. You, in turn, were kind enough to present
it to Bishop Salim Sayegh, Vicar of the Latin Patriarch of
Jerusalem in Jordan, with the request that it be forwarded to
His Holiness.

The Pope has asked me to convey his gratitude to Your Royal
Highness and to all who signed the letter. He also wishes to
express his deep appreciation for this gesture, for the positive
spirit which inspired the text and for the call for a common
commitment to promoting peace in the world.

Without ignoring or downplaying our differences as Christians
and Muslims, we can and therefore should look to what unites us,
namely, belief in the one God, the provident Creator and
universal Judge who at the end of time will deal with each
person according to his or her actions. We are all called to
commit ourselves totally to him and to obey his sacred will.

Mindful of the content of his Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est
("God is Love"),His Holiness was particularly impressed by the
attention given in the letter to the twofold commandment to love
God and one's neighbour.

As you may know, at the beginning of his Pontificate, Pope
Benedict XVI stated: "I am profoundly convinced that we must not
yield to the negative pressures in our midst, but must affirm
the values of mutual respect, solidarity and peace. The life of
every human being is sacred, both for Christians and for
Muslims. There is plenty of scope for us to act together in the
service of fundamental moral values" (Address to Representatives
of Some Muslim Communities, Cologne, 20 August 2005). Such
common ground allows us to base dialogue on effective respect
for the dignity of every human person, on objective knowledge of
the religion of the other, on the sharing of religious
experience and, finally, on common commitment to promoting
mutual respect and acceptance among the younger generation. The
Pope is confident that, once this is achieved, it will be
possible to cooperate in a productive way in the areas of
culture and society, and for the promotion of justice and peace
in society and throughout the world.

With a view to encouraging your praiseworthy initiative, I am

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pleased to communicate that His Holiness would be most willing
to receive Your Royal Highness and a restricted group of
signatories of the open letter, chosen by you. At the same time,
a working meeting could be organized between your delegation and
the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, with the
cooperation of some specialized Pontifical Institutes (such as
the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies and the
Pontifical Gregorian University). The precise details of these
meetings could be decided later, should this proposal prove
acceptable to you in principle.

I avail myself of the occasion to renew to Your Royal Highness
the assurance of my highest consideration.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone
Secretary of State

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