Cablegate: Media Reaction: Europe: Pope Benedict in Turkey; Sao Paulo

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TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: EUROPE: POPE BENEDICT IN TURKEY; SAO PAULO

"Benedict 16th, Diplomat"

Liberal, largest national circulation daily Folha de S. Paulo
(11/30) editorialized: "If not a triumph of diplomacy, Pope
Benedict's visit to Turkey at least indicates that the pontiff is
paying attention to the religious dialogue and the political
developments resulting from the so-called clash of civilizations....
If the diplomatic gesture is capable of helping the main Muslim
religious authorities to subdue their believers' spirit, then the
chances of repetition of violent episodes such as the protests
unleashed in Denmark by the publication of cartoons considered
offensive to Mohammed will diminish.... Obviously, the Catholic
leader could not think otherwise.... It is clear that this will not
be enough to disarm tensions or to make followers of one religion
accept another one as equal, but it is already a step towards
non-confrontation." McMullen

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