Cardinal Pell: "A Little Religious Reciprocity"

Cardinal Pell, writing in The Sunday Telegraph (Australia), asks for "a little religious reciprocity" when it comes to Islam:

AUSTRALIA has come well through the week that followed Pope Benedict's passing reference to Mohammed in his university address on the role of reason in religion.

I never expected violence in Australia, and fully expected Moslem leaders and commentators to have their say. This is their right.

Some moderates, such as Waleed Aly, came to grips with the problem, even if Sheik Hilali remained consistent and continued to play his usual game of personal criticism and completely avoiding the central issues in dispute: the relationship of violence to mainstream Islam and the Koran.

In Australia, Catholics - and even archbishops - are used to public criticism. This goes with the active presence of Christian principles in public life, and is a consequence of our precious rights to freedom of expression.

Prime Minister John Howard was correct to point out that "If Catholics rioted every time people attacked the Catholic Church, you would have riots on a very regular basis." If you don't like the heat, you don't go into the kitchen.

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(emphasis added)


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Cardinal Pell: Pope Protests "Show Violence" in Islam

Cardinal Pell "Keen to Provoke Islam Debate"

Cardinal Pell Sparks Outrage Over Islam Comments

Two Prominent Catholics On Islam