Positive Steps With
Islam Noted
Cardinals Gather
With Pope in
Pre-consistory
Meeting
VATICAN CITY, NOV.
25, 2007 (Zenit.org).-
Cardinals meeting
with Benedict XVI
before Saturday's
consistory noted
positive steps in
the relationship
between the Church
and Islam.
Last Friday
was dedicated to
prayer and
reflection for the
cardinals in Rome on
the occasion of the
elevation of 23 new
members to the
College of
Cardinals.
The evening
session of the day
of reflection
included 16
interventions.
The Vatican
press office also
reported that the
theme of ecumenism
was again touched on
in the evening,
after the morning
session had been
largely dedicated to
that topic. The HOly
Father chose the
topic.
"Issues [such]
as the cooperation
by Christians of
different
confessions for the
defense of the
family in society
and the legal order,
as well as the
importance of
spiritual ecumenism
and of personal
relationships with
the faithful and
authorities of the
other Christian
confessions" were
discussed, the
Vatican statement
reported.
Other talks
dealt with relations
with Judaism and
with Islam, the
statement affirmed.
"There was
discussion of the
encouraging sign
represented by the
letter of 138 Muslim
scholars and by the
visit of the king of
Saudi Arabia to the
Holy Father," it
said.
Happiness
The cardinals
further discussed
the difficulties of
Christian faith in
the secularized
world and the duty
and importance of
the new
evangelization,
"which responds to
the deep and
permanent longings
for happiness and
freedom of
postmodern man," the
communiqué stated.
The cardinals
gave special
attention to Latin
America, where, the
Vatican statement
reported, "a new
missionary drive"
was "nourished by
the recent general
conference of the
Latin American and
Caribbean bishops
that took place in
Aparecida, Brazil."
During the
meeting, specific
interventions were
dedicated to the
situation of
consecrated life and
to formation in
seminaries.
The letter of the
Holy Father to the
Church in China was
recalled and there
was discussion of
its "favorable
reception on the
part of bishops and
faithful," the
statement affirmed.
The urgent
commitment of the
Church for peace,
for the struggle
against poverty and
for disarmament,
above all nuclear
disarmament, was
also discussed by
the cardinals.
Finally, there were
talks to convey
information about
the International
Eucharistic Congress
to be held in Quebec
in June 2008; the
Pauline Year; and
the diffusion of the
Catholic press,
especially
L'Osservatore
Romano.
After a brief
response by Cardinal
Walter Kasper, the
Holy Father spoke.
He gave "a
concluding summary
in which he thanked
the cardinals for
their participation
and their
contribution," the
Vatican communiqué
stated, "and
announced the
upcoming publication
of his new
encyclical on hope
in response to the
deep longings of our
contemporaries."
The Pope's new
encyclical, "Spe
Salvi," will be
signed and released
Friday.
