c. 2006 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Interfaith relations _ and tensions _ quickly took center stage at the opening of the World Council of Churches’ ninth assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, as Christian leaders grappled with Muslim rage over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Rev. Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the international ecumenical body with some 340 member churches and denominations in more than 100 countries, told a Tuesday (Feb. 14) news conference that freedom of speech is a fundamental human right but “when it is used to humiliate people’s values and dignity, it devalues the foundation it is based on.”

He said Christians and Muslims must work together to “put out the fire” created by the publication in a Danish newspaper of 12 cartoons ridiculing Muhammad. They have since been republished in newspapers and on Web sites in Europe and the United States. Islam forbids depictions of the prophet on the grounds they could lead to idolatry.

Protests across the Muslim world have turned violent in a number of places, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Pakistan, at least three people were killed by police Wednesday as protests there entered their third day and demonstrators attempted to trash Western businesses.

Catholicos Aram I, of the Armenian Apostolic Church and moderator of the WCC, also spoke to the issue.

“In this small world we are living as one community,” he told the news conference.

“Like it or not, we are neighbors; we are no longer strangers,” he said, adding that respecting diversity means respecting democratic values and “not imposing our traditions on our neighbors.”

The WCC has been a leader in promoting interfaith dialogue. The issue figures to be a main topic during the meeting that runs until Feb. 23.

Another sensitive interfaith issue _ the fragile place of Christians in the Holy Land in the wake of Hamas’ victory in the parliamentary elections in the Palestinian territories _ also was raised on the opening day of the assembly.

“The election is very confusing,” said the Rev. Naim Ateek, an Anglican and director of Jerusalem’s Sabeel Institute, according to Ecumenical News International. “Hopefully, pressure on Hamas to be responsible in government will help us create a stronger force for non-violence.”

At the same time, Ateek said Christian churches must continue their economic campaign in opposition to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. The Sabeel Institute supports “selective divestment” from corporations profiting from the occupation _ a stance being debated in a number of denominations in the United States and elsewhere.

Hamas, which has indicated it might seek to legislate a strict version of Islamic law in the Palestinian territories, has worried church leaders in the region. They have expressed concern that Hamas will put even more pressure on Christians and further their exodus from the Holy Land.

Separately, Pope Benedict XVI, in a message to the opening session, pledged to maintain “a solid partnership” with the Protestant and Orthodox body in promoting Christian unity.

“After 40 years of fruitful collaboration, we look forward to continuing this journey of hope and promise, as we intensify our endeavors towards reaching that day when Christians are united in proclaiming the gospel message of salvation to all,” Benedict said in a five-paragraph greeting.

The Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the WCC but participates in a number of WCC committees. From 1968 to 1975, Benedict _ then professor Joseph Ratzinger _ was a member of the WCC’s Faith and Order Commission, the body’s primary theological arm.

In an opening prayer for the assembly, Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania, a prominent ecumenical leader and Orthodox theologian, spoke on the assembly’s theme of transformation, and signaled to his listeners that the WCC’s historic commitment to social justice and the needs of the poor will not be forgotten at the assembly.

“In the face of all the poor _ the hungry, estranged and refugees _ we are obliged to discern the face of Jesus,” he said.

Anastasios, who has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on behalf of peace and reconciliation in the Balkans, said the church must continue its struggle “to overcome violence wherever we possibly can: in our family and society, as well as in the political and international community.”

In a separate message, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians around the world, also pledged his office’s commitment to the cause of church unity.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate, he said, “will continue to offer its witness and to share the richness of its theological and ecclesial tradition in the search for unity among Christian churches, in all efforts towards reconciliation and peace.”

Over the past decade, Orthodox participation in the WCC has been fraught with difficulties. Some Orthodox churches have objected to the council’s method of decision-making and what they believe is liberal Protestant domination of the WCC agenda.

The Brazil assembly will be a key test of whether changes in the council’s structure have successfully dealt with the Orthodox objections.

MO/PH DEA END

Editors: To obtain file photos of the Rev. Samuel Kobia, go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject (Kobia).