Pope makes appeal for religious freedom

Pope Benedict XVI stressed today that religion is a “fundamental right” of all people that transcends borders and can solve conflicts in a world threatened by sinister and indiscriminate violence.

The pontiff mentioned no country in his remarks other than Australia, where he is leading tens of thousands of Catholics in the church’s youth festival, but the comments came at a time when the Vatican is engaged in cautious efforts to restore ties with China.

Pope Benedict today met a group of leaders from other religions, including rabbis and Muslim clerics, at the gothic St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney as part of the Roman Catholic church’s youth festival.

He praised Australia’s commitment to human rights and goodwill toward other countries.

“It is a nation that holds freedom of religion in high regard,” Benedict said. “Your country recognises that a respect for this fundamental right gives men and women the latitude to worship God according to their conscience.”

China’s officially atheist Communist Party cut ties with the Vatican in 1951 and the two sides have never restored formal ties.

Beijing objects to the Vatican’s tradition of having the Pope name his own bishops, calling it interference in China’s affairs.

China appoints bishops for the state-sanctioned Catholic church. Still, many of the country’s estimated 12 million Catholics worship in congregations outside the state-approved church.

Benedict, who is eager for the Holy See to establish diplomatic ties with China to better protect his flock there, has made improving relations with Beijing a priority of his papacy.

In May, the China Philharmonic Orchestra played a concert for Benedict in the Vatican, and the Pope expressed solidarity with the survivors of an earthquake that killed more than 70,000 people when it struck China later that month.

Religion was an important unifying force for peace despite some people’s belief that it caused divisions, the pope told the gathering of clerics.

“In a world threatened by sinister and indiscriminate forms of violence, the unified voice of religious people urges nations and communities to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and with full regard for human dignity,” he said.

The 81-year-old pontiff had only a slightly less hectic schedule today than the previous day.

He met Australian officials and had lunch with a group of young pilgrims, and was later due to bless a planned live recreation of The Last Supper, Christ’s crucifixion and other events in the last days of Jesus.

He was also due to have an evening meeting with a group of disadvantaged young people.

Yesterday, the pontiff, appearing rested and in good form, gave his first major speech before an estimated crowd of 200,000 pilgrims gathered for World Youth Day.

Tens of thousands more lined Sydney harbour’s foreshore as he toured the city, first by boat and then in the popemobile.

In his address, Benedict warned that mankind’s “insatiable consumption” has scarred the Earth and squandered its resources, telling followers that taking care of the planet is vital to humanity – striking a theme that has earned him a reputation as the “green Pope”.

He told reporters during the flight from Rome to Australia that he believes the church in the West is in “crisis” because people feel they have no need for God. Yesterday, he warned the pilgrims of the threats from secularism.

“If God is irrelevant to public life, then society will be shaped in a godless image, and debate and policy concerning the public good will be driven more by consequences than by principles grounded in truth,” he said.

It is all part of what he called a “poison” threatening to corrode the good in society.