Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Cd. Maida reflects on pope's visit as messenger of hope
Cd. Maida reflects on pope's visit as messenger of hope
by Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published April 25, 2008
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Photo by Leslie E. Kossoff/LK Photos
Pope Benedict XVI and Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida walk into the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., April 18, where the pope hosted an interreligious dialogue. |
Detroit When the Holy Father arrived April 17 at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., during his visit to the United States last week, he came with a message of peace, love and respect for other religions, said Cardinal Adam Maida.
The pope told about 200 representatives of Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism gathered "to persevere in their collaboration" to serve society and enrich public life. Not only was it an important moment for Cardinal Maida, but it validated the vision he's had for the center "that it would have its place in the world's stage to promote inter-religious dialogue, and peace and love, and be a place where the Gospel message of Jesus, and love and peace and brotherhood, could be preached and lived," he said after returning to Detroit. "Religion should be the ground from which we can prepare the dialogue of peace among all peoples," he said.
Upon the pope's arrival at the cultural center April 17, Cardinal Maida, a driving force behind the cultural center's construction, got down on one knee and kissed the pope's ring. Cardinal Maida said he was grateful for the pope's visit to the center, especially in light of tensions that exist between religions.
The visit held personal significance for him because although he had explained to Pope John Paul II what the center would do and what it could be, the current pope used the center as a platform to promote peace and encapsulated its mission. Cardinal Maida said the new challenge would be to continue that dialogue between religions, as the pope's visit was "just the beginning of the great work" possible through the cultural center.
Although the pope's visit took place hundreds of miles away from Detroit, Cardinal Maida said the visit was still significant to Catholics here because it's there to share "the core Gospel message of religious freedom and love, and we all, everyone one of us, wants to live peacefully with our neighbors," he said. "Here in Detroit, I'm very proud of the way our dialogue has taken place among the various religious bodies. If that could be duplicated on the political, and in the worldwide context, this would be a totally different world."
He said the center is like an anchor or a lighthouse, "showing the way." During Pope Benedict's visit to the center, he was given a copy of "Thomas Aquinas on the Jews: Insights into His Commentary on Romans 9-11," written by Fr. Steven Boguslawski, OP, now director of the center and formerly the rector of Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit. He was also given a set of cufflinks with the cultural center's logo, and an icon specially commissioned as a gift for him. The center received a painting of Pope John Paul II, also commissioned for the visit.
Among the other highlights of Cardinal Maida's trip were simply being in the presence of the Holy Father as he presented his message of peace and love, he said. "The Holy Father is a very holy man, and a very humble man, and in his humility and in his holiness, I think the people saw and witnessed the presence of Christ in his presence," he said.
"To see that, to witness that over and over again in various venues by various groups, it was just amazing, it was uplifting and for me it was very affirming of the work that all of us do, I as a Church leader, and all the people here in Detroit. What the Holy Father saw in New York and Washington was really a microcosm of what the Church is like in the United States."
He also said it was important that Pope Benedict addressed the issue of sex abuse by clergy and had met with some of those affected. "His meeting with the victims showed a very pastoral concern for them, and his own way, was again giving an example of how we should pastorally approach this problem," he said.
During the visit, Cardinal Maida said the Holy Father also called attention to people living in poverty, or among prejudice or hatred, especially during his visit to the United Nations.
"He was calling them to recognize the fundamental dignity of every human being, and the fundamental responsibility that governments have to promote dialogue and peace as opposed to war and terror," he said. "Talk about validating our mission.
And then when I come back home, I've got to do the same thing
take the core messages that the Holy Father has given, and implement them for our people."
Cardinal Maida said he believes that although some might have been skeptical of Pope Benedict's leadership and ability to connect to young people, many people were touched by his visit and now see him as a leader. "They looked at him as a grandfather," he said of the youths. "I don't know how many times they sang 'Happy Birthday.' There was a humanity to the pope that people appreciated, and his humility, his love, and his concern for everybody."
Of the visit, Cardinal Maida said: "He came as a messenger of hope great hope we have because of Jesus the Lord, who gives us the message, the message which is peace and love, and the message which is finally realized in the kingdom and we're all on that pilgrimage and journey together."
Catholic News Service contributed to this story.
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