SUPPLEMENTARY COMMENTS INVOLVING THE

REGENSBERG ADDRESS OF POPE BENEDICT XVI

Charles P. Poole, Jr.

at St. Joseph Church, Columbia SC, March, 2007

CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Religions of the World

3. Other Religions

4. Islam

5. The Septuagint

6. Faith and Reason from Vatican II

7. Faith and Reason from Pope John Paul II

8. Present Status of Important Cities of Early Christianity

9. Quotations from the Qur’an Concerning the Treatment of Disbelievers

19. Quotations from the Qur’an on More General Topics

1. INTRODUCTION

In the main essay we summarized and commented upon the Regensberg Address of Pope Benedict XVI. In the present essay we will provide some background material from almanac statistics, from the Second Vatican Council, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and from some Papal Encyclicals, that pertains to this address.

2. RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD 2004

Christians 2,107 million

Moslems 1,283

Nonreligious 767

Hindus 881

Buddhists 375

Atheists 161

Jews 15

Christians of the World 38% 2004

Catholics 1,106 million

Protestants 370

Orthodox 217

Anglicans 79

Other 417

Religions in the USA 2004

Catholic 67.3 million

Baptist 30.0

Methodist 12.3

Pentecostal 10.4

Lutheran 7.8

Jews 5.3; Jehovah Witness 4.9; Mormons 4.8;

Moslems 4.5; Orthodox 4.2; Church of Christ 3.1;

Episcopal 2.3; Presbyterian 1.2; Eastern Catholic 0.6

The population figures are from the 2006 World Almanac

3. OTHER RELIGIONS

The Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions of the Second vatican Council, officially entitled Nostra Aetate, has the following to say: “Other religions, found everywhere, strive variously to answer the restless searching of the human heart by proposing ‘ways which consist of teachings, rules of life, and sacred ceremonies,” and further “ She [the Church] looks with great respect upon those ways of conduct and of life, those rules and teachings which, though differing in many particulars from what she holds and sets forth, nevertheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men.” The Church exhorts her sons “through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, and in witness of Christian faith and life, [to] acknowledge, preserve, and promote the spiritual and moral goods found among these men, as well as the values of their society and culture.”

The Council makes brief comments on Hinduism and Buddhism, a longer one on Islam which is quoted below, and an even more-lengthy one on the Jews coupled with an emphasis on the condemnation of anti-Semitism. The Catechism has several sections (#839 to 845) devoted to non-Christian religions, with particular paragraphs discussing the Jewish people (#839, 840) and the Muslims (#841). In 1995 Pope John Paul II wrote the encyclical Ut Unum Sint that looked forward to an eventual reunion with Orthodox Christianity.

4. ISLAM

The Vatican II Declaration Nostra Aetate stated as follows: “Upon the Moslems, too, the Church looks with esteem. They adore one God, living and enduring, merciful and all powerful, Maker of heaven and earth, Speaker to men. They strive to submit wholeheartedly, even to His inscrutable decrees, just as did Abraham, with whom the Islamic faith is pleased to associate itself. Though they did not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere Him as a prophet. They also honor Mary, His virgin mother; at times they call on her, too, with devotion. In addition they await the day of judgment when God will give each man his due after raising him up. Consequently, they prize the moral life, and give worship to God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting.”

The Declaration continues “Although in the course of the centuries many quarrels and hostilities have arisen between the Christians and Moslems, this most sacred Synod urges all to forget the past and to strive sincerely for mutual understanding. On behalf of all mankind, let them make common cause of safeguarding and fostering social justice, moral values, peace, and freedom.”

5. THE SEPTUAGINT

At this point it will be appropriate to say a few words about the historical context of the Septuagint. The Assyrians conquered the northern Jewish Kingdom Israel and occupied its capitol Samaria in the year 721 BC. They displaced much of the Jewish population and resettled the land. The Babylonians conquered the southern Jewish kingdom Judah and occupied its capitol Jerusalem in the year 581 BC. Then most of its Jewish population was deported to Babylon where they remained in exile until 539 BC. Some of them never returned from exile, but they and the earlier exiles from the Northern Kingdom Israel settled in various countries around the world. Eventually they lost the ability to speak the Hebrew language, so about 300 years later the Old Testament was translated into Greek, the international language of the era. This permitted the Jewish people who had been dispersed (the Diaspora) to read it or understand it being read to them. Not only was the original Hebrew text translated, but several additional books called the Deuterocanon were added to it, as was mentioned above. The work was called the Septuagint, with the abbreviation LXX, because of a legend that it had been translated by a group of 72 scholars, six from each tribe of Israel. The Septuagint was the version of the Old Testament that was used by most of the early Christians, and which is quoted extensively in the New Testament, and by the early Church Fathers.

6. FAITH AND REASON FROM VATICAN II

The Vatican II document the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, sometimes referred to as The Church Today, has the official name Gaudium et Spes (which means Joy and Hope). Chapter 2 of Part I of this Pastoral Constitution entitled The Proper Development of Culture devotes some space (#59) to faith and reason. It states that “culture has a constant need of a just freedom if it is to develop.” Recalling the teaching of the First Vatican Council it refers to “ ‘two orders of knowledge’ which are distinct, namely faith and reason.” “When human arts and sciences are practiced they use their own principles and their own method, each in its own domain.” Thus the sacred Synod affirms “the legitimate autonomy of human culture and especially of the sciences.” It further affirms that “within the limits of morality and the general welfare, a man is free to search for the truth, voice his mind, and publicize it; that he be free to practice any art he chooses; and finally that he have appropriate access to information about public affairs.” The document further states (#62) that “all the faithful, clerical and lay, possess a lawful freedom of inquiry and of thought, and the freedom to express their minds humbly and courageously about those matters in which they enjoy competence.”

This section goes on to say “May the faithful, therefore, live in very close union with the men of their time. Let them strive to understand perfectly their way of thinking and feeling, as expressed in their culture. Let them blend modern science and its theories and the understanding of the latest discoveries with Christian morality and doctrine. Thus their religious practice and morality can keep pace with their scientific knowledge and with its ever-advancing technology. Thus too they will be able to interpret and test all things in a truly Christian spirit.”

7. FAITH AND REASON FROM POPE JOHN PAUL II

Our previous pope John Paul II promulgated the encyclical Fides et Ratio or Faith and Reason on September 14, 1998. This encyclical contains material pertinent to the Regensberg Address of Pope Benedict XVI. (I found the logical arrangement within some of the sections a little confusing). The headings listed are from the encyclical.

Introduction “Know Yourself”

The Church has a duty to serve humanity be a diakonia (ministry) of truth. “The believing community is a partner in humanity’s shared struggle to arrive at the truth ... [which] obliges the believing community to proclaim the certitudes arrived at.”

a. The Revelation of God’s Wisdom

The First Vatican Council (1869-1870) affirmed that “there exists a knowledge which is peculiar to faith, surpassing the knowledge proper to human reason, which nevertheless by its nature can discover the Creator.” In other words “There exists a twofold order of knowledge”, namely what we know by natural reason, and what we know by divine faith.

b. Credo ut Intellegam

I believe in order that I may understand. The Book of Wisdom tells us about God revealing himself in nature (13:5, 7:17, 7:17-29). St. Paul tells us that Christ’s coming “redeemed reason from weakness” (see Rom 1:19-21). The Old Testament book of Proverbs (1:7, see Sir 1:14) tells us that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”

c. Intellego ut Credam

I understand in order to believe. The Pope says “One may define a human being as the one who seeks the truth.” He says that “The truth comes initially to the human being as a question: Does life have a meaning? Where is it going?” This section discusses how rational inquiry can aid the search for truth.

d. The Relationships between Faith and Reason

The section begins with St. Paul’s discussions with “certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers” ()Acts 17:18), then is mentions the fruitful dialogue of the Fathers of the Church with ancient philosophy. “They fully welcomed reason which was open to the absolute, and they infused it with the richness drawn from Revelation.” St. Augustine produced the first great synthesis of Greek and Latin philosophy with theology. Later Thomas Aquinas mentioned that “Just as grace builds on nature and brings it to fulfillment, so faith builds upon and perfects reason.” Aquinas gained insights from “the dialogue which he undertook with the Arab and Jewish thought of his time.”

e. The Magisterium’s Interventions in Philosophical Matters

This section begins with the statement “The Church has no philosophy of her own, nor does she canonize any particular philosophy in preference to others.” It continues ”It is the task of the magisterium in the first place to indicate which philosophical presuppositions and conclusions are incompatible with revealed truth.” The First Vatican Council affirmed “The natural knowability of the existence of God.” His Holiness invited “Theologians to engage the human sciences and apply them properly in their enquiries.”

f. The Interaction Between Philosophy and Theology

Christian philosophy has two aspects: a) the fact that faith purifies reason, and b) the fact that Revelation presupposes certain truths which might never have been found by unaided reason, but which nevertheless are not inaccessible to reason.

g. Current Requirements and Tasks

The world needs to recover a “Sapiential dimension as a search for the ultimate and overarching meaning of life.” The Pope furhter affirms that “The chief purpose of thelogy is to provide an understanding of Revelation and the content of truth.”

Conclusion

The Pontiff urges the pioneers of scientific research never to abandon “”the sapiental horizon within which scientific and technical achievements are wedded to the philosophical and ethical values which are the distinctive and indelible mark of the human person.” He ends with a tribute to Mary as the Seat of Wisdom.

8. IMPORTANT CITIES OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY

PRESENT STATUS

(Some cities on this list no longer exist, or only ruins remain).

Alexandria Patr Muslim city in present day Egypt

Antioch Patr Muslim city in present day Turkey

Chalcedon EC Muslim city in present day Turkey

Colossae LP Muslim city in present day Turkey

Constantinople EC, Patr Muslim city in present day Turkey

Corinth LP Christian city in present day Greece

Damascus Other Muslim city in present day Syria, associated

with the conversion of St. Paul

Ephesus EC, LP, Rev Muslim city in present day Turkey

Galatia LP Muslim region in present day Turkey

Hippo Other Muslim city in north Africa where

St. Augustine was bishop

Jerusalem Patr Jewish/Muslim city in present day Israel

Laodicia LP (lost letter), Rev Muslim city in present day Turkey

Nicaea EC Muslim city in present day Turkey

Philadelphia Rev Muslim city in present day Turkey

Philippi LP Christian city in present day Greece

Pergamon Rev Muslim city in present day Turkey

Rome LP, Patr Christian city in present day Italy

Sardis Rev Muslim city in present day Turkey

Smyrna Rev Muslim city in present day Turkey

Thessalonica LP Christian city in present day Greece

Thyatira Rev Muslim city in present day Turkey

In this table: EC indicates the site of a an Ecumenical Council, LP denotes received a letter or letters from St. Paul, Patr signifies one of the five patriarchates, Rev specifies one of the seven cities mentioned in Revelation as receiving a letter, and other corresponds to another reason.

9. QUOTATIONS FROM THE QUR’AN

CONCERNING TREATMENT OF DISBELIEVERS

The quotations are from The Meaning of the Glorious Koran by Mohammed Marmaduke Pickhall, published by Abdul Moin for the Islamic Book Service in New Delhi, India, 1996 edition. The surah and verse numbers are given for each quotation, e. g. #2:190 denotes surah 2, verse 190. Some additional verses concerning jihad are: #3:90,91; #4:89; #9:73; #10:13; #22:9,19-22,72; #39:71,72; #42:44,45.

#2:190. Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors.

#2:191. And slay them wherever ye find them and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the inviolable Place of Worship until they attack you there, but if they attack you there then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers.

#7:4. How many a township we have destroyed! As a raid by night, or while they slept at noon, our terror came unto them.

#8:65. O Prophet! Exhort the believers to fight.

#9:3. Give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom to those who disbelieve.

#9:123. O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto him).

#25:37. We have prepared a painful doom for evil-doers.

#33:61. Accursed, they will be seized wherever found and slain with a (fierce) slaughter.

#41:27. But verily we shall cause those who disbelieve to taste an awful doom, and verily we shall requite them the worst of what they used to do.

#47:4. Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is uniting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, then making fast of bonds, and afterward either grace or ransom till the war lay down its burdens.

#48:29. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are harsh against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves.

These messages from the Qur’an are in sharp contrast to what Jesus taught: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28).

10. QUOTATIONS FROM THE QUR’AN

ON MORE GENERAL TOPICS

To provide a more balanced view of what the Qur’an says overall we add here some miscellaneous quotations. . The first is the entire text of surah 1 entitled The Opening, which constitutes a prayer recited at all Muslim worship services. This is followed by several verses from surah 2 The Cow, and surah 3 The Family of Imran. We conclude with verses from surah 4 Women, surah 5 The Table Spread, and surah 23 The Believers.

#1. In the name of Allah the Beneficent , the Merciful. 1.Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. 2. The Beneficent , the Merciful. 3. Owner of the Day of Judgment. 4. Thee alone we worship. Thee alone we ask for help. 5. Show us the straight path. 6. The path of those whom Thou hast favored. 7. Not the path of those who earn Thine anger, nor of those who go astray.

#2: 21 O Mankind! Worship your Lord who hath created you and those before you so that they may ward off evil. 22. Who hath appointed the earth a resting place for you, and the sky a canopy; and causeth water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you. And do not set up rivals to Allah. when ye know better.

#2:47. O Children of Israel! Remember my favor wherewith I favored you, and how I preferred you to all creatures.

#2: 186. And when thy servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear my call and let them trust in Me, in order that they my be led aright.

#2: 256. There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah has grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower.

#2: 271. If ye publish your alms giving, it is well, but if ye hide it and give it to the poor it will be better for you, and will atone for some of your ill-deeds. Allah is informed of what ye do.

#3: 57. And as for those believe and do good works, He will pay them their wages in full. Allah loveth not wrongdoers.

#3: 85. And whoso seeketh a religion other than the Surrender to Allah it will not be accepted from him. and he will be a loser in the Hereafter.

#3:160. If Allah is your helper none can overcome you, and if He withdraw his help from you who is there who can help you? In Allah let believers put their trust.

#4: 103. When ye have performed the act of worship, remember Allah, standing, sitting and reclining. And when ye are in safety, observe proper worship. Worship at fixed hours hath been enjoined on the believers. .

#4: 106. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Lo! Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.

#5: 74. Will they not rather turn unto Allah and seek forgiveness of Him? For Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

#23: I In the name of Allah the Beneficent , the Merciful. 1. Successful indeed are the believers. 2. who are humble in their prayers. 3. and who shun vain conversation. 4. and who guard their modesty.