Photo : Mark Bray (Wikimedia)

In Germany the pope castigates islam for its violence.
He has to fly back to Rome hurriedly under an international flurry of protests.
If he had castigated every violence: the violence of christianity and that of judaism (Israel) as well as that of islam, his speech would have displeased everybody, but referred each religion to its own sins. Benedict XVI instead has proved himself the perfect illustration of the famous verse in the Sermon on the Mount, Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye? What about the big log in your own? … Hypocrite!
The Sign reworks the warnings once launched by the Father in slightly different words, the weight of which is similar, though: But you shall not judge anyone either in public or in private; don’t have the least judgement in the inmost recesses od you brain, because trapping a judgement is as impossible as trapping a flea; it will leap onto your tongue unawares (36/16).
The Arès Pilgrims are sinners among whole sinful mankind, but they, at least, are trying to love all of men, their brothers, trying to make their peace with them (Sign 28/15), trying to refrain from violence, if only from verbal abuse, if only against their most violent disparagers: ADFI, MIVILUDES…and the Church, who ever since 1974 has blackened the Arès Pilgrims’ name, especially their founder’s name. I wish to hear that islam forgives the Church just as we forgive her. There is really no need to stir up grudges in the world.