In the case of the encounter with the Islam of Morocco is for Pope Francis to a further stage. Outside of Europe, he will appeal, but also the Europeans and the openness to migrants Dunning.
Mosques in the city of Rabat is dominated
And again, it goes in the Islamic world. Eight weeks after his worldwide-publicized visit to the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis visited the Kingdom of Morocco. The North African country reflects a different social reality than the rich Emirates of the Gulf. And yet, Francis is working on his Vision of a stronger co-existence between Christians and Muslims.
The state religion in Morocco is Islam. 99 percent of the residents are Muslims. The so-called Maliki tables Islam is prohibited, such as Timo Güzelmansur, head of the Christian-Islamic meeting and documentation centre (CIBEDO) in Frankfurt, “a conservative, but tolerant in the direction of”. More than in other Sunni dominated countries, the people of Islam played in the country, “” a role. The Royal Palace put the religious boundaries, because the king was not only a secular ruler, but also head of the Muslim concerns.
The second Pope
The king’s house, the, descended directly from the prophet Mohammed, for an openness, showed as early as 1985, the father of the present king, Hassan II (1961-99). He was, in August 1985, for the first time host of a Pope in Morocco, as John Paul II (1978-2005) visited the country.
Pope John Paul II visited Morocco in 1985, here with king Hassan II.
In Casablanca, the Pope was allowed to speak at the invitation of the then king Hassan II in front of 80,000 listeners, mostly young people – Muslims, mostly open, there were hardly any other Islamic country. The Pope from Poland quoted at the time respectful to the Koran and called in a much-praised speech to the dialogue between Christians and Muslims “is more necessary than ever”. It was one of the consistently great Speeches of this Pope.
Mohammed VI, king of Morocco since 1999
Because Francis is linked, is 27 hours in the capital, Rabat. It is also a Advertise for dialogue on Terror. Many of the young Islamists who perpetrated in the past ten years of bloody attacks in Spain and other Central European countries, including Germany, that came from Morocco. That speaks to the inner turmoil of the youth. For a long time, king Mohammed VI, puts on a other training of imams and promoting them officially for tolerance.
“Believe in borders”
The current Pope travels remarkably often in Muslim countries. He was in Turkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jordan and the Palestinian territories, Azerbaijan, and Egypt, most recently in the Emirates. For Güzelmansur the Pope is very aware of the inter-religious dialogue, and encouraged the opening of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), in a “Declaration on non-Christian religions”, and the Togetherness of people across faith boundaries. “He doesn’t want the gap between East and West is deeper, but that people show solidarity with each other, as sisters and brothers explore and, accordingly, act responsibly.”
Until the beginning of February the Pope in the Emirates was
And: The Church leader also travels, this Time in the Tradition of its namesake. The order’s founder Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) was 1219, in the dark time of the Crusades, to moved to Egypt to meet the Sultan, and to promote the peaceful Coexistence of religions.
“Why do you do this? In order not to drown?”
Certainly, the Pope will address during his one and a half day stay, also the views on the issue of refugees. Apparently has shifted the path of refugees from African countries into Europe from the Libyan coast to Morocco, the route today is located on the main of the refugees. On several occasions this year, recently drowned in mid-may, 45 people capsized in the Mediterranean sea off Morocco refugee boats. And as Pope Francis has addressed this day to the fact that the authorities stopped in the port of Barcelona, the ship of a private aid organisation on the leak, he said, according to Vatican Radio: “Why are you doing this? In order not to drown?”.
The messages of the Pope, so Güzelmansur, be addressed to all the people who want to make the world a better place. “The aims of the respective country, in which he is, and warns the Ruling, but it can also be seen as a message to Europe.” And given the concern of many young people, which will make in Morocco, existential, Europe is “a task, a responsibility.”