Arab world hails pope

Dispatches from around the world:

• April 4, 2005 |Cairo | 12:00 p.m. ET

Pope's dialogue with the Arab world will be missed - even by extremists

Charlene Gubash

A political cartoon in Monday's pan-Arab Al Hayat newspaper summed up the sentiment here to the death of Pope John Paul II: a tearful world bade farewell as the pontiff retreated to a starlit heaven.  

The pope gained Arab respect through his unprecedented efforts to promote dialogue between the Catholic Church and Muslim leaders, his unfailing support for the rights of the Palestinian people, and his firm stand against the war in Iraq. 

By his example of humility, respect for non-Christians, and his unfailing support of human rights, he touched the hearts of Muslims and Christians alike during his Holy Land tour to Jerusalem, Amman, Beirut, Cairo and Damascus. 

He made history during the trip by being the first pope to visit a mosque and a synagogue. His death united Christians and Muslims, moderate and fundamentalist, in sadness. Leaders from throughout the region made statements praising his contributions to dialogue and efforts towards peace.  

In Egypt, the most populous Arab country, with a Catholic population of just 250,000, President Mubarak declared three days of mourning and praised the pontiff for his "long journey of giving, during which he remained a symbol of love and peace and one who called for dialogue between religions." 

Muslim world
The highest religious authority in Sunni Islam, Sheikh Tantawi, head of Egypt's Al Azhar Mosque, called his death "a great loss for the Catholic Church and the Muslim world....He was a man who defended the values of justice and peace and worked for the victory of relations between the Muslim and Christian people based on friendship and love."  In Cairo, at the headquarters of the Arab League, the flag flew at half-staff.

Jordan's King Abdullah expressed deep grief and said the pope, "devoted his life to calling for solidarity between rich and poor countries, peace, freedom, love and alleviation of suffering," and made tangible contributions to legitimate Arab issues.  

In a cable to the Vatican, President Bashar al Assad of Syria expressed his sorrow and recalled the pope's visit to Damascus during which the pontiff expressed his strong belief in fraternity between Christianity and Islam and his defense for the Palestinian people. 

In Lebanon, home to a million Catholics, the government declared three days of mourning. 

Iran's President Khatami said the Pope commanded the three paths of religious learning: philosophical thought and poetic and artistic creativity. 

Perhaps most telling, al-Jazeera TV and al-Arabiya TV, the most widely watched satellite news networks in the region, provided live coverage from the Vatican, and discussed the pope's contributions to interfaith dialogue, human rights and Arab causes. 

Sheikh Qardawi, a popular Sunni cleric who appears regularly on al-Jazeera, praised the pope's "unforgettable stands against the war in Iraq and the separation wall in the West Bank," and asked for Muslims to give their condolences to Christians. His remarks were posted on a militant website. 

Al Manar TV, run by Hezbollah, Lebanon's Shiite fundamentalist group, interrupted programming to announce the Pope's death. 

Their spiritual leader, Ayatollah Mohamed Hussein Fadlallah, expressed hope that the "course of dialogue charted by the Holy See will lead to all regions converging on faith in God." 

A message attributed to the militant Palestinian group, Hamas, was posted on a militant website in which the group praised the pontiff and voiced hope the Vatican would continue to support the Palestinian people.

In evidence that the pope's outreach to Muslims was felt by even some of the most extremist groups, Afghanistan's Taliban acknowledged the "spiritual loss to Catholics worldwide" and said in a statement that "even though some had launched a Crusader war against Islam, the pope's voice was for bringing peace to the world."

• April 4, 2005 |Beijing | 07:30 a.m. ET

Chinese hopes for 'better ties'

Eric Baculianao

For a largely atheistic nation, China’s reaction to the passing away of Pope John Paul II was a measure of the far-reaching global influence wielded by the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church. 

While Beijing and the Vatican have yet to establish diplomatic ties, China’s foreign ministry has issued a statement expressing “condolences over the death of Pope John Paul II.” Also, spokesperson Liu Jianchao said China was “willing to improve relations” with the Vatican.

Liu specifically praised the pope’s admonition that any ties between the Vatican and China’s Catholic faithful should not “weaken the independence and sovereignty of China,” noting that the pope had once expressed “apologies” for some historic “wrongs” committed by Catholic missionaries in the past.

Meanwhile, on behalf of over 6 million registered followers, China’s Catholic Patriotic Association and Catholic Bishops College jointly sent a message to the Vatican expressing sorrow for the pope’s “passing away at the call of God,” saying it will be a “great loss for the pastoral and evangelical works of the Universal Church.”

Catholic churches in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and other major cities held masses mourning the pope’s death. Beijing Catholic leader Priest Zhao Jianmin, who once met the Pope in Belgium, expressed “shock” over his death, remembering the Pope’s “interest and respect” for the Chinese culture and nation.

“We held special masses on Sunday and Monday to mourn the passing away of Pope John Paul II,” said Sister Teresa Yu of the Beijing South Cathedral, which was first built by Italian missionary Matteo Ricci in 1605.  “He was our spiritual leader and his passing away caused us great pain and deep sorrow,” she added.

The absence of official ties with the Vatican notwithstanding, the sense of loss openly expressed by China’s official Catholic churches showed the pope’s powerful legacy even in the communist-ruled nation.

There are estimated 12 million Catholic believers who recognize the pope’s authority and worship in so-called underground churches, which are targets of periodic police round-ups in China.

The pope was “a religious conservative, but he was also socially progressive,” remarked Beijing’s China Times, in a rare public attempt to analyze the Pope’s immense appeal.

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