Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Muslims Request Use of Cordoba Cathedral
Spanish Muslims are requesting the use of the Cordoba Cathedral for their prayers. Roughly two years ago a similar request was sent to the Vatican which was turned down for the obvious reason that history cannot be unwritten for obfuscate reasons.
The Vatican is against the Cathedral of Córdoba, the famous mosque, being used also by Muslims, and advises them to "accept history" without pretending to "take revenge," in the same way that Catholics don't reclaim buildings that have passed to Islam. Muslims have submitted a petition to the Vatican with this request. This is the statement of Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, who has recalled that in 2001 John Paul II visited the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus, which previously had been a Byzantine basilica, "and he did not ask to celebrate Mass there." "Some reflection is necessary. In the same way as in Córdoba, other buildings in the course of the centuries changed from their original use, like Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, converted into an Islamic museum," said the Archbishop.
Apparently our fellow Abrahamic brothers are pretty persistent on this matter because today they sent another petition to Pope Benedict XVI requesting the right to pray as Muslims in a Catholic (Christian) Cathedral. The Cordoba Cathedral was originally a mosque during the Muslim occupation of Spain, but prior to being a mosque, the Muslims destroyed a Catholic church in order to build their mosque.
Spanish Muslims said on Tuesday they had appealed to the pope to be allowed to prostrate themselves in worship in Cordoba Cathedral, which was built as a mosque during Spain’s centuries of Islamic rule.
Prior to this the Spanish Catholic Bishops Conference issued a statement saying it "did not recommend" that Muslims pray inside the Cordoba Cathedral.
I want to know if Muslims are willing to allow Christians to pray in the Hagia Sophia as a sign of reciprocity? I for one am still debating whether it is 'ok' for Muslims to pray in Catholic (Christian) churches but only if Christians are allowed to pray in former churches turned into mosques as well.
To read more about this Muslim request click here.
UPDATED: Catholic Bishop Juan Jose Ansejo has rejected the request of Spain's Islamic Board to use the Cathedral as a mosque. For the story click here.
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4 comments:
What an insult, I am glad the Vatican can put their foot down on this one, if it were up to the current goverment of Spain the Cathedral would probably be handed back to the Muslims! Generalisimo Franco would be spinning in his grave!
It would be nice if the Muslims allowed Christians to carry a Bible in (say) Saudi Arabia, too!
Is Hagia Sophia still a mosque? I thought it was now more of a museum.
Esther,
You are correct, it is still a museum.