Deux jours après l’arrivée de Benoît XVI à Amman, les chrétiens de Jordanie – une communauté de 200 000 fidèles – pourront enfin voir celui qui est venu en « pèlerinage de paix » sur la terre de Moïse. Ils devraient être 25 000, ce matin, à assister à la première messe présidée en public par Benoît XVI, au stade …

Photo: Pope Benedict XVI waves to worshipers on his arrival to celebrate a Mass at a stadium in Amman, Jordan, Sunday, May 10, 2009. Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday urged Middle East Christians to persevere in their faith despite hardships threatening the existence of their ancient communities. Pope Benedict XVI is on a week long tour in the Middle East …

The Islamic media’s criticism of Benedict XVI is nothing in the face of the wealth of his proposal. Dialogue with science is essential for the Arab world, at a standstill for centuries; it is crucial that the West does not close itself into relativistic ideologies that despise faith. Beirut (AsiaNews) – Benedict XVI’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land has been …

Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed, (second left) gives Pope Benedict XVI a tour of king Hussein bin Talal mosque, the biggest and newest in Amman, Jordan. Pope Benedict visited a mosque on Saturday in another attempt to mend fences with Islam after a 2006 speech caused offense, and urged Christians and Muslims to jointly defend religion from political manipulation. Vatican spokesman …

Dialogue with Islam characterized the Jordanian stage of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land, along the road opened up in Regensburg. Published here for the first tine: the complete text of the discourse addressed to the pope by Muslim prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad Bin Talal ROME, May 11, 2009 – On his trip to the Holy Land, Benedict XVI has …

Christians and Muslims must take on the “challenge to cultivate for the good, in the context of faith and truth, the vast potential of human reason”: thus showing that religion “is not necessarily the cause for division in our world” and that it is “disfigured when it is forced to serve ignorance, prejudice, violence and abuse”. On the second day …

The top religious adviser to Jordan’s king thanked Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday for expressing regret after a speech that many Muslims deemed insulting to the Prophet Muhammad but complained the West continues to have a distorted view of Islam. Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed delivered his assessment after giving Benedict a tour of the biggest mosque in Amman _ the …

Pope Benedict visited a mosque on Saturday with his shoes in a move that is not suitable for a mosque visit since it is worn on streets that are not clean. He visited the King Hussein bin Talal Mosque in Amman in such a manner, he took off his shoes during Sultanahmed mosque visit in Turkey. Addressing the pope, Prince …

In the only public Papal Mass in Jordan, the Holy Father reminded Christians, stressed the “prophetic role” of women in God’s plans. Amman, Jordan (CNA) – On Sunday morning 20,000 faithful attended the Papal Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI at Jordan’s International Stadium of Amman, where in 2000 John Paul II also celebrated Mass. Pope Benedict in his homily …

(CBS/AP) Pope Benedict XVI called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian homeland immediately after he arrived in Israel Monday, a stance that could put him at odds with his hosts on a trip aimed at easing strains between the Vatican and Jews. The pope also took on the delicate issue of the Holocaust, pledging to “honor the memory” of …

JERUSALEM — Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Israel on Monday, shouldering 2,000 years of often-rocky ties between Catholics and Jews. Pope Benedict has done much over the course of his career in the Vatican to address that troubled history, but many sore points remain, officials on both sides say. His task is complicated by the fact that during his trip …

The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Jordan and Palestine is a perfect opportunity to review and stress the role of Christian Arabs in the peace process and their strong support for peace with justice. To begin with, it is important for all to know that Arabs have been in Palestine and Jordan before the arrival of Islam and Christianity. …

AMMAN, Jordan (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Jordan on the first leg of a Holy Land pilgrimage and praised the country’s efforts to oppose conflict and violence between the West and the Islamic world. At an airport welcoming ceremony in Amman May 8, the pope expressed his “deep respect for the Muslim community” and paid tribute to interfaith …

AMMAN (Reuters) – Pope Benedict visited a mosque on Saturday in another attempt to mend fences with Islam after a 2006 speech caused offence, and urged Christians and Muslims to jointly defend religion from political manipulation. Speaking at the modern King Hussein bin Talal Mosque in Amman, he struck a note of harmony and shared purpose between the world’s two …

The top religious adviser to Jordan’s king thanked Pope Benedict XVI for expressing regret after a speech three years ago that many Muslims deemed insulting to the Prophet Muhammad. Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed spoke Saturday after giving the Pope a tour of the biggest and newest mosque in Jordan’s capital, Amman. It was the pontiff’s second visit to a Muslim …

AMMAN – Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday said Muslims and Christians “must strive to be known and recognised… as merciful and compassionate and ever mindful of the common origin and dignity of all human persons” as “the burden of our common history is so often marked by misunderstanding”. “It is often ideological manipulation of religion sometimes for political ends that …

AMMAN, Jordan — The top religious adviser to Jordan’s king thanked Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday for expressing regret after a speech three years ago that many Muslims deemed insulting to Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed spoke after giving Benedict a tour of the biggest mosque in Amman, his second visit to a Muslim place of worship since …

The top religious adviser to Jordan’s king has thanked Pope Benedict XVI for expressing regret after a speech that many Muslims deemed insulting to the Prophet Muhammad, but complained the West still has a distorted view of Islam. Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed delivered his assessment after giving Pope Benedict a tour of the biggest mosque in Amman, the Pontiff’s second …

“We Understand This Visit to Be a Deliberate Gesture of Goodwill” AMMAN, Jordan, MAY 10, 2009 (Zenit.org) – Here is a transcription of the welcome speech that Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammed gave to Benedict XVI when the Pope visited Jordan’s state mosque on Saturday, the first full day of the Pontiff’s weeklong pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The prince is …

Amman, Jordan, May 9, 2009 / 06:47 pm (CNA) – On Saturday Pope Benedict XVI spoke to Jordanian leaders at the Al-Hussein Bin Talal Mosque in Amman. Following themes prominent in his 2006 Regensburg Address on the relationship between faith and reason, he said both Muslims and Christians face the challenge of cultivating human reason in the context of faith. …

During his visit to Jordan, Pope Benedict visited a mosque, taken a trip to biblical Mt Nebo while appealing to Christians to “build bridges” with other religions and cultures and also to give witness to “respect for women”. After an early Saturday morning visit to Mount Nebo, a pilgrimage site where one of the earliest churches in the Middle East …

AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) — For more than 20 years, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then the Vatican’s top doctrinal czar, was the intellectual architect of the papacy of John Paul II. Pope Benedict XVI and Jordanian Prince Ghazi Bin Talal leave the King Hussein mosque in Amman on Saturday. Thus, when Ratzinger was elected to succeed John Paul as Pope Benedict XVI …

Pope Benedict XVI has warned against the misuse of religion for political ends, in a speech to Muslim leaders on the second day of his visit to Jordan. Speaking in the King Hussein Mosque in Amman, he argued that religion was a force for good, but its “manipulation” caused divisions and even violence. The pontiff is also due to visit …

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The top religious adviser to Jordan’s king thanked Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday for his expression of regret after a 2006 speech that many Muslims deemed insulting to Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed spoke after giving Benedict a tour of the biggest mosque in Jordan’s capital, Amman, his second visit to a Muslim place …

AMMAN (AFP/Reuters) – Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday urged inter-faith reconciliation on the second day of a Holy Land tour but disappointed Muslim clerics by failing to offer a new apology for remarks seen as targeting Islam. The Pope visited a mosque on Saturday in another attempt to mend fences with Islam after a 2006 speech caused offence. The pontiff …

AMMAN, Jordan (CNS) — When Pope Benedict XVI greeted Jordanian King Abdullah II and Queen Rania May 8, he was meeting descendants of the prophet Mohammed. Jordan is sometimes referred to as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. A Hashemite is a member of an Arabian princely family descended from Mohammed. King Abdullah’s official Web site lists him as a 43rd-generation …

In Amman, first stage in his trip to the Holy Land, Benedict XVI talks about an “alliance of civilisations between the West and the Muslim world”. He praises Jordan for respecting religious freedom, encouraging dialogue and holding back extremism. Amman (AsiaNews) – “Prayer,” shaping “people’s conscience” and using “reason to help understand what is truly needed for peace” are what …

(ANSAmed) – VATICAN CITY – A difficult trip, and risks of being exploited: ”everyone is ready to take the best part of the pie that this visit represents,” said the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal with resignation. Benedict XVI will depart tomorrow for the Holy Land, which he already visited in ’64, ’92, and ’94. It will be his …

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI departs next Friday (May 8) for what promises to be one of the most eventful and memorable events in his reign: a week-long visit to the Holy Land, with stops in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Benedict has presented the trip as first and foremost a pilgrimage to the “places sanctified by (Jesus’) …

May Christ “give you his courage”: that was Benedict XVI’s wish and mandate to the 20,000 Catholics who filled the International Stadium of Amman for mass this morning which gave the Pope the opportunity to underline “prophetic chrism” of women, particularly in this region. It is the only public mass to be celebrated by the Pope in this nation. Jordan …

Pope Benedict XVI (C) visits King Hussein Bin Talal mosque accompanied by Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad (R) and meets with Muslim leaders on May 9, 2009 in Amman, Jordan. Pope Benedict XVI is on his first trip to the middle east, which also includes the West Bank and Israel. (Photo by Salah Malkawi/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Prince Ghazi …

A thick carpet was laid on the pavement for him to walk upon. Meeting in the evening with priests, religious and laity of the Oriental Catholic Churches, Benedict XVI encouraged them to witness their faith, even outside the Christian community. Parents’ concern for their children “troubled by the negative influences so pervasive in our globalized world, including the destructive elements …

AMMAN, Jordan | Pope Benedict XVI visited a mosque in the Jordanian capital Saturday, the second day of his Middle East visit, in an effort to mend fences with a Muslim world still smarting from his remarks three years ago linking the prophet Muhammad with violence. Speaking at the new King Hussein bin Talal Mosque, the largest in Jordan, Benedict, …

AMMAN // Pope Benedict XVI warned against the “manipulation” of religion for political ends yesterday as Jordan’s top religious adviser publicly thanked the pontiff for expressing regrets for a 2006 speech that was perceived as an insult to Islam. Speaking at the King Hussein bin Talal mosque in the Jordanian capital of Amman on the second day of his much …

May 9 (Bloomberg) — Pope Benedict XVI visited a mosque and celebrated Mass in Jordan during a weeklong trip to the Middle East aimed at easing the Vatican’s ties with Muslims and Jews. The pontiff toured the King Hussein Bin Talal Mosque, which occupies 60,000 square meters (197,000 square feet) and serves 6,000 worshippers, after viewing Mount Nebo, a hilltop …

AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) — On the second day of his visit to the Middle East, Pope Benedict XVI stressed the need for harmony and unity between Christians and Muslims. “Muslims and Christians, precisely because of the burden of our common history, so often marked by misunderstanding, must today strive to be known and recognized as worshippers of God, faithful to …

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The top religious adviser to Jordan’s king thanked Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday for expressing regret after a speech that many Muslims deemed insulting to the Prophet Muhammad but complained the West continues to have a distorted view of Islam. Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed delivered his assessment after giving Benedict a tour of the biggest mosque …

Under Pope Benedict XVI’s reign, the Vatican dossier on Islam could be entitled: “Regensburg, and Everything After.” Regensburg was the professor Pope’s landmark 2006 discourse at his former university that included a nasty historical citation about the prophet Mohammed and provocatively asked if Islam lacks reason, making it inherently prone to violence. The worldwide protests among Muslims, including a handful …

Pope Benedict XVI sits near Jordanian Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed (front-R), his wife Areej (back 3rd-R), Jordanian MP and member of the Muslim Brotherhood Hayat al-Musemi (2nd-R) and Jordan’s Chief of Islamic Justice Ahmad Hilayel at the King Hussein bin Talal Mosque in Amman on May 9, 2009. Pope Benedict XVI condemned "ideological manipulation of religion" and called for reconciliation …

AMMAN : Keen to promote better understanding between Christian and Muslims not only in the Middle East but worldwide as well, Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed his “deep respect” for Muslims during his visit on the weekend to Jordan, and for the second time visited a mosque. He began his May 8-15 visit to the Holy Land in Jordan. After landing …

A POPE with an exceptional propensity for slipping on banana skins has made a sure-footed start to one of the trickiest journeys of his four-year papacy, an eight-day tour of the Holy Land. On Monday May 11th Benedict XVI touched down in Tel Aviv for the second leg of his journey-five days in Israel and the Palestinian territories, home of …

ROME — Abraham would have been disappointed. Ever since the first patriarch hosted the three angels at his table, hospitality has been considered one of the highest virtues in the Middle East. But thus far, Pope Benedict XVI’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land this week has been marked by two different versions of welcome. Benedict described himself on this visit …

JERUSALEM, May 14 – Branded an implacable foe of Islam after his landmark Regensburg speech in 2006, Pope Benedict has shown during his current Holy Land tour that he is slowly learning how to dialogue with Muslims. While media attention has focused on Jewish criticism of his speech at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, Benedict’s speeches to Muslims have used …

AMMAN, Jordan (CNS) — To believe in God is to pray, to be merciful and compassionate, to witness to the truth and to uphold the dignity of every person, Pope Benedict XVI said after visiting a monumental new mosque in Amman. Acknowledging that much of the history of Christian-Muslim relations has been marked by misunderstanding and tension, the pope said …

Benedict XVI repeats the Regensburg concept on the enlightened reason of faith. On Mount Nebo he affirms the “inseparable bond which united the Church and Jewish people”. Appeal that Iraqi Christians are guaranteed “fundamental rights of peaceful coexistence with their fellow citizens”. Amman (AsiaNews) – Christians and Muslims must take on the “challenge to cultivate for the good, in the …

JERUSALEM – Branded an implacable foe of Islam after his landmark Regensburg speech in 2006, Pope Benedict has shown during his current Holy Land tour that he is slowly learning how to dialogue with Muslims. While media attention has focused on Jewish criticism of his speech at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, Benedict’s speeches to Muslims have used classic Islamic …

At Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock, part of the Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary complex including Islam’s third-holiest mosque Al-Aqsa, Pope Benedict urged Palestinian Muslim leaders to pursue interfaith cooperation by using an argument that other Muslims have been using to engage Christians — including himself — in dialogue. The need for interfaith dialogue is emerging as one of the two most …

AMMAN – POPE Benedict on Sunday visits the site believed to be where Jesus was baptised as he wraps up his visit to Jordan and prepares to leave for Israel to start the most delicate part of his first Middle East trip. On Sunday afternoon Pope Benedict travels east of the Jordanian capital Amman to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where …

In Jordan, Pope Benedict XVI sought to stress the importance of religion in public life as a way to find common ground with Jewish and Muslim groups. Amman, Jordan – The overall feeling in Jordan is one of pride and positivity as Pope Benedict XVI leaves for Israel after a “Christian pilgrimage” that doubled as an opportunity to smooth the …

Pope Benedict XVI has visited a mosque in Jordan in an effort to heal a rift between the Vatican and the Muslim world, appealing to the “common history” of Islam and Christianity. In an unprecedented speech at a mosque in the Jordanian capital Amman, the Pope made no symbolic gestures of unity, such as praying with his Muslim hosts or …

AMMAN (Reuters) – Pope Benedict began a delicate trip to the Middle East on Friday by expressing “deep respect” for Islam and saying the Catholic Church would do everything it could to help the region’s stalled peace process. Starting the first leg of a trip that will include Israel and the Palestinian territories, he also called for a three-way dialogue …

After the most demanding high-wire act of his papacy, a grueling week that saw the 82-year-old pontiff deliver 28 speeches while shuttling among Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, it seems terribly simplistic to offer a report card, but here we go nonetheless: Give Benedict XVI an A for effort, and a B for execution. Benedict scored gains in getting …

AMMAN (Reuters) – Pope Benedict on Sunday visits the site believed to be where Jesus was baptized as he wraps up his visit to Jordan and prepares to leave for Israel to start the most delicate part of his first Middle East trip. On Sunday afternoon Benedict travels east of the Jordanian capital Amman to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where …

In Jordan, on the first stop of his week-long visit to the Middle East, Pope Benedict XVI (bio – news) devoted much of his attention to relations between Christianity and Islam. Jordan was a natural site for the Pope’s effort to establish some rapport with moderate Islamic leaders. The nation’s government has been a force for tolerance and religious freedom, …

Today, Pope Benedict XVI embarks on his Middle East tour. First stop is Jordan, with an itinerary that covers three days of meetings and masses. One of his visits will be to “Bethany beyond the Jordan“, which lays claim to being the place where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. This is being considered quite a coup for the …

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Relations between Catholics and Muslims have improved markedly in recent decades after centuries marked by memories of the Crusades and Ottoman military campaigns in eastern Europe. Here are some of the major step in that process: 1965: The Second Vatican Council said the Catholic Church regarded Muslims “with esteem” and urged both faiths “to forget the past …

May 7 (Bloomberg) — Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the Middle East tomorrow on a trip Israel calls a “Bridge for Peace.” The pontiff may find it more like a tightrope after his actions strained ties with both Jews and Muslims. The Vatican cancelled his planned meeting with an Israeli Arab mayor after Israeli Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov accused the …

As he heads to what could be a sea of controversy in Israel-Palestine, Pope Benedict XVI’s Middle East trip has been marked by a strong message of reconciliation and affirmation of hard-pressed historic Christian communities in the region. In particular, he has addressed 40,000 Catholics in Jordan – who rarely, if ever gather together – as well as visiting the …

Extremists from all sides find fault in Benedict XVI’s visit, which goes to show that his words in favour of dialogue and tolerance have hit their mark. On the plane taking him back to Rome he says it is easier to see the difficulties facing peace, but nothing is more visible than the desire for peace. Rome (AsiaNews) – In …

AMMAN, Jordan — Visiting a mosque on the second day of his closely watched first visit to the Holy Land, Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday denounced the “ideological manipulation of religion” and called for greater understanding between the Christian and Muslim faiths. Pope Benedict XVI waves to the faithful during mass at St. George Victorious Cathedral in Amman, Jordan, on …

AMMAN, Jordan, MAY 10, 2009 (Zenit.org) – Benedict XVI has reached the goals that were set for the first leg of his weeklong pilgrimage to the Holy Land, says a Vatican spokesman. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, affirmed that the results of Part 1 of the Popes pilgrimage are thus far very positive. The Holy …