Ambassador Flynn Lauds Pope’s Courage

The first positive effect of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Turkey will be a recognition by his host country of his great courage, says a former U.S. ambassador to Vatican.

"The number one effect, I'd say, is admiration for his courage," Ambassador Ray Flynn told NewsMax.com in an exclusive interview.

Flynn, a former mayor of Boston, longtime friend of the Pope, and head of the Catholic Citizenship organization, added "I admire him for his courage. It would have been so much easier for him to cancel the visit and say that the events of the world suggest that it would be better if he made the trip at another time because of the uncertainty and violence taking place in the region.

"I think he has to get high grades for his courage and putting himself out there. I look at him as a real defender of the faith."

About the visit itself Flynn, author of two books, "The Accidental Pope and John Paul II: A Personal Portrait of the Pope and the Man" said that the Pope is in a "no-win" situation.

On the Line

"What he said in Germany about Islamic extremists was correct and no apology was necessary. Unfortunately, if he makes the same kind of firm statement in Turkey there will be violent protests and demonstrations in the streets.

"Innocent people will get hurt and killed. These fanatics would retaliate against nuns, priests, and other Christians. We're experiencing a very violent and divided region of the world and if I'd had my way he wouldn't have made that trip, but once the invitation was accepted there was no turning back."

Noting that the Pope's lecture in Germany was badly misinterpreted by the press, Flynn explained, "That's what's to be expected. You never know how people are going to interpret what you say. How is Al-Jazeera going to interpret his visit to Turkey? You are leaving it in the hands of religious fanatics to interpret what you have to say.

"It's really a very difficult position that he's in. I hope he holds firm to what he said in Germany in terms of there being no place for violence in religion and people who use God to promote their violent political objectives."

Flynn added, " I feel so badly for him because he's in a very difficult situation, he's walking on egg shells. So far his visit has gone very well. He's handled it extremely well. He's talking about the great historic and cultural history of the Turkish people and Turkey and the whole region. There is a great historic heritage there and that's of course what he's going to play up to.

"But he's dealing with a small but dominating minority of fanatics. This extremist Islamist group couldn't even get an official position in the government; they are not even recognized as members of the government, but through demonstrations and protests, they bully their way into legitimacy.

"Turkey is a democracy and a secular state and most of the people there are playing by the rules and want to live in peace, and what Benedict XVI was talking about in Germany was a handful of extremists. But that's all it takes.

"The problem is that the heart of this is not in his hands — if angry protesters and haters decided to misinterpret what he had to say in Germany — and I think they misinterpreted what he had to say intentionally — they'll take to the streets and say that he was ridiculing Muhammad and was equating violence with Islam.

"It makes good headlines but it doesn't make a very peaceful world. There's not much he can do to control that. As for the official part of his state visit, it's worked well, meeting the prime minister and the president."

A Push for Reconciliation

Turning to the original purpose of the Pope's visit — a hoped-for reconciliation with the Greek Orthodox Church and its head, the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, whom he called a close friend, Flynn explained that the patriarch was the one who had extended the invitation to the Pope to visit Turkey.

"He [Bartholomew] is even persona non grata in his own country. He had to rescind the invitation to the Holy Father because the Turkish government says he has no capacity to extend an invitation to anybody. He is just a Turkish citizen.

"They don't acknowledge the Orthodox religion. Even though he's the patriarch, the Turkish government protested the invitation so the Pope instead received an invitation on behalf of the Turkish government."

Cautious Optimism

Flynn expressed optimism that the Pope's attempt to bring about a rapprochement between the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church, separated from Rome for a thousand years, might succeed: "It's a strong possibility — it's a relationship based on love and faith.

" I think there really is a possibility, more so than ever. Like-minded, value-based Christians throughout the world are beginning to see that we are not each other's enemy. "