The pope has advantages in this area that the president does not. He can unite all believers in the One God — something other popes could not or would not do. All popes must be diplomats, since Catholics exist in many different cultures and nations. But past popes had less room to maneuver than Francis has. This pope can condemn the violent minority of Muslims (in the Islamic State, for instance) while cultivating the sophisticated and scholarly Muslims he knows well. As Francis said in his most important papal statement so far, The Joy of the Gospel: “Authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Quran are opposed to every form of violence.” The ability to recognize the better angels of another religion is very useful for recruiting help and alliances with the holy majority of that religion. Those who dismiss large numbers of Muslim believers as “Islamofascists” make enemies of people who would prefer to be our friends. All modern popes have called for peace in the world. But Francis has a special chance to use his religious office to prevent religious war. Any war for religion conflicts with the peaceful traditions of Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Mormons and others. Francis has earned a special credibility in reminding us of that important truth. (READ MORE)
