Cardinal Mahony says pope's remarks create a "teachable moment"

Roger Michael Cardinal Mahony

Function: Archbishop of Los Angeles, California, USA

Title: Cardinal Priest of Ss Quattro Coronati

Birthdate: Feb 27, 1936	Country: USA

Elevated: Jun 28, 1991	More information: www.catholic-hierarchy.org

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Cardinal Mahony says pope's remarks create a "teachable moment"
Sept 25, 2006
Cardinal Roger M. Mahony said at a meeting with local Muslim leaders that Pope Benedict XVI's recent remarks quoting a medieval emperor that characterized some of the teachings of Islam's founder as "evil and inhuman" created a "teachable moment" to affirm the commonalities between the two faiths.

(Associated Press, Sep. 22, 2006) LOS ANGELES - At a meeting Thursday in Mahony's office at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in Los Angeles, the cardinal and Muslim leaders agreed to create more opportunities locally to educate Catholics and Muslims about one another.

They also discussed the possibility of pairing mosques and parishes together.

Salam Al-Marayati of the Muslim Public Affairs Council called the meeting "positive, conciliatory and very constructive."

In a Sept. 12 address at the University of Regensburg in Germany, Benedict cited the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman," particularly "his command to spread by the sword the faith."

The pope said he didn't mean to malign Islam, but did not issue a direct apology still demanded by some Muslim leaders.

At Thursday's gathering, local Muslim leaders, including representatives from the Southern California Council on American Islamic Relations and the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, described the hurt felt by many Muslims at the pope's words.

They said they welcomed Benedict's statements clarifying his position, according to a joint statement from the Los Angeles Archdiocese and the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

The group also discussed sending a joint delegation of local Muslims and Catholics to visit the Middle East and Vatican City.

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