Monday, September 18, 2006

Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ: Is Dialogue with Islam Possible?

From Ignatius Insight - the Blog of Ignatius Press, is the following article. In the beginning he illustrates Pope Benedict's method of communication using Deus Caritas Est, then shifts a little further in, to the recent speech by Pope Benedict after which, followed violence from Muslims. Fr. Fessio is seen in the photo below taken April 1, 2006 when he kicked off his Spirit of the Liturgy seminar-retreat at Assumption Grotto in Detroit.

Is Dialogue with Islam Possible? Some reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's address at the University of Regensburg.

Both before and since his elevation to the papacy, Benedict has taken a consistent approach to controversial issues: he locates the assumptions and fundamental principles underlying the controversy, analyzes their "inner" structure or dynamism, and lays out the consequences of the principles.

For example, in Deus Caritas Est, Benedict does not address directly the controversial issues of homosexual partners, promiscuity, or divorce. Instead he examines the "inner logic" of the love of eros, which is "love between man and woman, where body and soul are inseparably joined . . ." He shows that it has been understood historically to have a relationship with the divine ("love promises infinity, eternity") and to require "purification and growth in maturity ... through the path of renunciation". In love's "growth towards higher levels and inward purification ... it seeks to become definitive ... both in the sense of exclusivity (this particular person alone) and in the sense of being 'for ever'."

So starting from the "inner logic" of the fundamental reality of love, Benedict concludes to an exclusive and permanent relationship between a man and a woman. That is a fair description of the Catholic idea of marriage, and it excludes homosexual partners, promiscuity, and divorce.

Incidentally, in the very first paragraph of this encyclical, Benedict states: "In a world where the name of God is sometimes associated with vengeance or even a duty of hatred and violence, this message [that God is love] is both timely and significant." Clearly the religious justification of violence is an aberration that's on his mind.

continue reading at Ignatius Insight...

Since I'm not running a significant news site, you might follow this story on the blogs of Domenico Bettinelli Jr, Jimmy Akin, and American Papist - Thomas. They have had many posts already and continue blogging on this issue.

Sandro Magister also has a new article up: Islam's unreasonable war against Benedict XVI.