Pope Benedict on Islam

National Catholic Reporter, August 12, 2005 by John L. Allen, Jr.

Finally, Ratzinger has irked some Muslims by his opposition to Turkey's candidacy to join the European union.

The flashpoint in the Catholic-Muslim relationship under Benedict is likely to be Europe and, specifically, the extent to which Europe as a matter of both cultural conviction and civil law should express and defend its Christian identity.

In this context, Benedict's meeting with European Muslims in Cologne Aug. 20 is likely to be important, as it gives the pope an opportunity to outline the contours of how he sees things.

[John L. Allen Jr. is NCR Rome correspondent, His e-mail address is jallen@natcath.org. For his complete Word from Rome, go to www.ncronline.org.]