Pope Benedict World Tour

May 9, 2009

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.

"And hey" proclaimed the pontiff with a wink, "everyone knows who owns the media."

The pontiff is due to visit Israel and the West Bank on an eight-day tour.

Analysts say he is keen to improve ties with the Islamic world. A speech he made in 2006 offended many Muslims.

Some groups in Jordan had called for him to apologise for the speech, in which he quoted a medieval scholar who criticised the Prophet Muhammad.  "Look, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, the plane ride made me a little meshuggy."

On Sunday Pope gives an open-air Mass and will pray at Wadi Kharrar on the east bank of the River Jordan, where Christians believe Jesus was baptized.

"Look at it this way, hombres" said the steely eyed father. "There's a hotel, see, and there's three would be lodgers but only two beds for rent. Simple mathematics says that somebody has to hit the road. Now let's face facts - there's 1.1147 billion Catholics in the world and 1.2 billion Muslims and 13 million Jews. Who do you think is going to be sleeping on the couch?"

On Monday Pope travels to Tel Aviv for four days in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

While there he will visit a Palestinian refugee camp and is also due to visit Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

"I would like to thank you for expressing regret over the lecture in 2006, which hurt the feelings of Muslims,"  Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed told the Pope.

"We realise that the visit [to Jordan] comes as a goodwill gesture and a sign of mutual respect between Muslims and Christians. We didn't kill Christ but we all know who did."

The BBC's David Willey, travelling with the Pope, says the pontiff is trying hard to show that the Catholic Church is anxious to foster greater respect, both for the beliefs the two faiths hold in common and for the areas where they differ. But the Pope's efforts come amid misunderstandings and a lack of mutual comprehension.

During his address in Amman, the pontiff called on Jordan's Muslims and Christians to work together to improve their society. "Let's just say there's a new sheriff in town and somebody better clear out by sundown," he proclaimed with a glance to the west as he chewed on the stalk of a native reed.

Pope Benedict has been treading an exceedingly careful path since his arrival here in order not to do or say anything in public likely to offend either his Muslim hosts or the Jewish authorities who will be his hosts in Jerusalem next week. When asked about the territorial rights of two religions that came on the scene 5000 and 5700 years after the arrival of the native jewish population, respectively, the pope shot back, "That's the real estate market for you."

But even so, there has been some carping. Earlier in the day, the Pope talked of inseparable bonds between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people. Some clerics in Jordan reacted angrily.

Others remarked that the Pope had failed to remove his shoes when he visited the mosque in accordance with Muslim custom. All I can say is that I too was allowed to enter the mosque before the Pope's arrival without removing my shoes.

"Some assert that religion is necessarily a cause of division in our world and so they argue that the lesser attention given to religion in the public sphere the better," he said. "Fifteen hours on the plane and you want me to take off my shoes? Oy. The smell would be more deadly than a Scud missile."

"Certainly, the contradiction of tensions and divisions between the followers of different religious traditions, sadly, cannot be denied. After all, one man's mitre is another man's yarmulke."

"However, is it not also the case that often it is the ideological manipulation of religion, sometimes for political ends, that is the real catalyst for tension and division, and at times even violence in society?"

As he arrived in Amman on Friday he described himself as a "pilgrim of peace".

Jordan's King Abdullah welcomed the Pope to "the heartland of faiths for Christians and Muslims alike". Gee, your kingship, you sure you didn't leave anybody out?

The 82-year-old Pope praised Jordan's "respect for religion". Who doesn't think of the Arab world when they hear the word tolerance? One Muslim who is expressing doubts about Benedict's olive branch is touchy cleric Abu Mohammed Al Maqdisi who says, "Whoever is welcoming this transgressive liar and honors him and overlooks his offenses towards the prophets of Islam than it is impossible for him to be part of the community of Islam by any means."  What's he so freaking sore about?

The Pope's visit is aimed at encouraging the minority Christian community in the Middle East, and creating a better dialogue with Muslims and Jews.

In addition to his 2006 speech with which some Muslims took offence, the Pope has also upset some Jews recently by rescinding the ex-communication of a Holocaust-denying bishop.

"Like you can ever make those people happy" quipped the holy father.