«Messenger of Christ to announce peace and encourage dialogue in a world often rent by division and resentment.»

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Rome, September 19, 2006

To all Regnum Christi members and friends

Dear friends in Christ,

Four days ago our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI concluded his apostolic trip to Bavaria, as a messenger of Christ to announce peace and encourage dialogue in a world often rent by division and resentment. And so it fills us with grief these days, as it does the Holy Father, to hear that some parts of his talk at the University of Regensburg "could have sounded offensive to the sensitivities of the Muslim faithful, and should have been interpreted in a manner that in no way corresponds to his intentions" (Statement of the Secretary of State).

The day before yesterday the Pope expressed to the pilgrims at Castel Gandolfo his sorrow that his talk, which "in its totality was

	«The Pope expressed to the pilgrims at Castel Gandolfo his sorrow that his talk gave rise to this misunderstanding.»

and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect," gave rise to this misunderstanding.

The Pope reminded his audience that the statement of the Secretary of State expressed the true meaning of his words, and he reiterated his esteem for the Muslims. I have attached to this letter the secretary’s declaration, which can help us have this same attitude among ourselves, an attitude that arises from respect for all persons, whom Christ came to save.

As we carry in the bottom of our hearts the sorrow that the Pope is suffering these days, I invite you to hold a Eucharistic Hour for all who suffer from injustice and especially for those Christians who have undergone unjust persecution and maltreatment throughout the world. You can hold the Eucharistic Hour as a family, by section, by team, or on your own. Our universities, schools and apostolates should also organize a Eucharistic Hour with these intentions.

May we ask God to strengthen the Pope and his aides and open the hearts of men to the message of peace that Christ brought to us. Let us also pray to God for each of us, that we may live the beatitude of those who strive for peace, and that we may always repay evil with goodness (see Romans 12:21).

Please be sure that I keep all of you in my prayers. I remain yours sincerely in Christ,

Alvaro Corcuera, LC

Attachment I:
Holy Father’s Angelus, Sunday, September 17 (excerpt):

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Pastoral Visit which I recently made to Bavaria was a deep spiritual experience, bringing together personal memories linked to places well known to me

	«I invite you to hold a Eucharistic Hour for all who suffer from injustice and especially for those Christians who have undergone unjust persecution and maltreatment throughout the world.»

and pastoral initiatives towards an effective proclamation of the Gospel for today. I thank God for the interior joy which he made possible, and I am also grateful to all those who worked hard for the success of this Pastoral Visit. As is the custom, I will speak more of this during next Wednesday’s General Audience.

At this time, I wish also to add that I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims. These in fact were a quotation from a medieval text, which do not in any way express my personal thought. Yesterday, the Cardinal Secretary of State published a statement in this regard in which he explained the true meaning of my words. I hope that this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect.

Attachment II
Statement of the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarsicio Bertone:

- The position of the Pope concerning Islam is unequivocally that expressed by the conciliar document Nostra Aetate: "The Church regards with esteem also the Muslims. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all-powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, Who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God. Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere Him as a prophet. They also honor Mary, His virgin

	«May we ask God to strengthen the Pope and his aides and open the hearts of men to the message of peace that Christ brought to us.»

mother; at times they even call on her with devotion. In addition, they await the day of judgment when God will render their deserts to all those who have been raised up from the dead. Finally, they value the moral life and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting" (no. 3).

- The Pope´s option in favor of inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue is equally unequivocal. In his meeting with representatives of Muslim communities in Cologne, Germany, on 20 August 2005, he said that such dialogue between Christians and Muslims "cannot be reduced to an optional extra," adding: "The lessons of the past must help us to avoid repeating the same mistakes. We must seek paths of reconciliation and learn to live with respect for each other´s identity".

- As for the opinion of the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus which he quoted during his Regensburg talk, the Holy Father did not mean, nor does he mean, to make that opinion his own in any way. He simply used it as a means to undertake - in an academic context, and as is evident from a complete and attentive reading of the text - certain reflections on the theme of the relationship between religion and violence in general, and to conclude with a clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation for violence, from whatever side it may come. On this point, it is worth recalling what Benedict XVI himself recently affirmed in his commemorative Message for the 20th anniversary of the Inter-religious Meeting of Prayer for Peace, initiated by his predecessor John Paul II at Assisi in October 1986: " ...  demonstrations of violence cannot be attributed to religion as such but to the cultural limitations with which it is lived and develops in time. ... In fact, attestations of the close bond that exists between the relationship with God and the ethics of love are recorded in all great religious traditions".

- The Holy Father thus sincerely regrets that certain passages of his address could have sounded offensive to the sensitivities of the Muslim faithful, and should have been interpreted in a manner that in no way corresponds to his intentions. Indeed it was he who, before the religious fervor of Muslim believers, warned secularized Western culture to guard against "the contempt for God and the cynicism that considers mockery of the sacred to be an exercise of freedom".

- In

	«Let us also pray to God for each of us, that we may live the beatitude of those who strive for peace, and that we may always repay evil with goodness.»

reiterating his respect and esteem for those who profess Islam, he hopes they will be helped to understand the correct meaning of his words so that, quickly surmounting this present uneasy moment, witness to the "Creator of heaven and earth, Who has spoken to men" may be reinforced, and collaboration may intensify "to promote together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom" (Nostra Aetate no. 3).

[The text of the attachments has been taken form www.vatican.va]