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Ray Flynn: Dangers Ahead for Pope and Catholic Church Phil Brennan, NewsMax.com Catholics are facing the possibility of attack from radical extremists worldwide in the wake of the controversy over Pope Benedict XVI's remarks about radical Islam, a former Vatican envoy warns.
The former mayor of Boston, Ambassador Ray Flynn, served as U.S envoy to the Vatican from 1993 to 1997 during part of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. He is the best-selling author of "John Paul II, a Personal Portrait of the Pope and the Man" and "The Accidental Pope."
Flynn is also a longtime friend of Cardinal Joseph F. Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI.
In an exclusive interview with NewsMax.com, Flynn said he has known Pope Benedict XVI for many years, having worked with him when he was still a cardinal from the very beginning of his time in Rome in 1993.
NewsMax asked Flynn about his reaction to the recent furor over the Pope's remarks in Germany concerning Islam.
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Flynn: I know of his commitment for inter-religious dialogue with people of all religious faiths, so it was painful for me to see the attack that he was experiencing from radical fanatics. I didn't think it was deserving at all, and I think a lot of people just flew off the handle before they even knew what his message was all about. He is a man of peace and a gentle man and he's a brilliant scholar and he was stating a point that some did not want to hear, even as accurate as he was.
NewsMax: He never apologized from making the point about not using violence to promote religious beliefs he made during his lecture in Germany, did he?
Flynn: No, and I don't think he should have. He was not expressing his own personal point of view — he was expressing a point of historic significance that goes back to the 14th century. Can you imagine what would happen if every college professor and teacher and scholar was hesitant to point out what transpired centuries before? We wouldn't have a very enlightened world. He was merely pointing out what a 14th century emperor had to say and what other historic figures had to say, and not necessarily stating his own point of view.
The Catholic Church is under attack anyway, and the papacy is under attack. And so it's fair game in society today to attack the Catholic Church and to attack the papacy — it's almost as if no matter what the Pope or the Church says, they are going to be attacked anyway so I'm glad he held his ground and didn't apologize.
NewsMax: Wasn't it his intention merely to say that there is no excuse for using the sword to spread religious beliefs?
Flynn: That's exactly what he was saying: you can't use violence — the sword — as a way of spreading your message. He is a man of peace.
It was just unfortunate the way the media sensationalize it. I think they knew darn well what he was saying but the media, especially the New York Times, intentionally misinterpreted what the Pope said. But that's the business the Times is in. They are no friends of the Catholic Church or Benedict XVI.
NewsMax: Wasn't it his point that the fact that this kind of thing is going on today — that some Muslims are using violence to spread parts of Islam?
Flynn: There's no question about it. That's his whole point — that you cannot use violence as a way of expressing your point of view. That's what's happening in many parts of the world where religious fanatics are using God and their religion as an excuse to justify violence.
NewsMax: Do you think then Pope was surprised at the reaction?
Flynn: I think he really was. I followed it very, very closely and as I said, he's a scholar and he's an intellectual and the Church's leading theologian.
Somebody that brilliant who knows faith and morals and know other people's religions as well as anybody in the world doesn't make blatant mistakes or misstatements. But I don't think he ever realized the intensity, the hatred, that is in society today and I think it was an eye opener for many.
Can you imagine accusing somebody of using God to promote violence and in response to that you commit violence — you kill a helpless defenseless heroic nun and you burn down churches.
NewsMax: Do you think the Pope will continue to pursue this theme of attacking violence to promote Islam?
Flynn: In our society today it's the squeaky wheel that gets all the grease. I'm sure he's like anybody else — he doesn't want to be responsible for anybody getting hurt or any additional violence in society. These groups use intimidation to silence their opposition and unfortunately too many people go along with it.
NewsMax: Generally how typical is this behavior among Muslims?
Flynn: I think it's been going on for so long a time that we in the West and in the United States pay so little attention, even in our foreign policy, to the rest of the world. As a result we don't understand the severity and the extent of what's going on in other parts of the world and in other peoples' culture and we don't appreciate the intensity of hatred that is out there. It's an eye-opener. It's just not something that decent, caring, loving people, are accustomed to when they see this happen. They either say "well gee this is awful," and pray that it doesn't happen again or say "well let's not say anything here because we don't want to upset anybody."
People sometimes rule by fear. So I think the violent reaction to the Pope's remarks is an eye opener for the Catholic Church and the Vatican.
Churches throughout the world, nuns and priests, they have no military; they have no army; they have no power. In many respects they are the instruments of peace, as Christ was. Any two-bit dictator or radical fanatic could cause them harm anytime they wanted to.
These people are instruments of peace, they don't have protection and guards — these nuns and missionaries are doing God's work out in the vineyards and anybody who wanted to retaliate against them or intimidate them could do so.
NewsMax: Do you think these people who reacted against the Pope are going to continue with their actions, or let it go?
Flynn: They rely on intimidation, fear and hate, and this is all they know. I don't think there is any way of reasoning with them. It is successful for them when they capture the world's attention and they intimidate and force peaceful people to live differently — to live a different kind of life, force them to change their way of living — to them that's successful.
Editor's note:
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