Therefore,
the expectations of a person who had not visited Italy
or Rome would
be that there would be Catholic missionaries in every nook and corner waiting
to convert you and spread the message of the Gospel. And like the Taliban, they
would not tolerate any other faith and would disparage them as unbelievers, who
ought to know the truth about the message of God.
The
Journalist speculates that Italy long ago went through it's Intolerant
stage during the Roman Empire and the Middle ages,
and has evolved to be more "Civilized".
The
Journalist also cites a few examples. One when the the Dalai Lama visited Italy. This visit created much
controversy but not about a Buddhist
Religious leader visiting a predominantly Catholic country. No, the controversy
was the Italian defying the Chinese government, with whom the Italian
government would like to continue to have vigorous economic ties, and China vigorously opposed
to the visit of the Dalai Lama. Another,
there were rumbling in Sri
Lanka when the present
Italian ambassador, Pio Mariani,
was nominated. Many Catholics here were concerned over the appointing of a
non-Christian as the Ambassador to this sacred city. A non
issue in Italy.
Sunday
Times.lk - Columbo,Sri Lanka
By
Marcus Aurelius
;
Sunday January 27, 2008
The
Roman Empire reminds us of the extraordinary
power wielded by the Catholic Church. Like Makkah to
the Muslims and Buddhagaya to the Buddhists, Rome is sacred to the
Catholics around the world. The Pope, the Holy Father, is the most revered
religious figure in the world. At that time the Roman
Empire and the Catholic Church believed they had a sacred mission
to forcefully convert to save the souls of unfortunate human beings from being
burnt in hell forever.
From
what is happening around the world, with religious fanaticism giving birth to
fundamentalism, this has become a major driving force and thousands are dying
to defend, what they believe to be, the word of God. In India, where
there is a pantheon of gods, religious intolerance is becoming a major concern
as terrorism thrives on the fertile ground of religious fundamentalism. Even in
the United States,
fundamentalism is growing to unprecedented levels. The mid-west states are
called the church belt and the extent to which some Americans exhort the
greatness of God and strive to convert the non believers is alarming.
Therefore,
the expectations of a person who had not visited Italy
or Rome would
be that there would be Catholic missionaries in every nook and corner waiting
to convert you and spread the message of the Gospel. And like the Taliban, they
would not tolerate any other faith and would disparage them as unbelievers, who
ought to know the truth about the message of God.
In
fact, there were rumbling in Sri
Lanka when the present ambassador was
nominated. Many Catholics were concerned over the appointing of a non-Christian
as the Ambassador to this sacred city. But, the Roman
Empire has ceased to exist. The Holy Father's territory is
confined to the Vatican
which is the smallest state in the World. In Rome, we find the Italians are one of the
most tolerant people in the world. Religion or Religious beliefs are never the
subject of conversation.
Recently,
the Dalai Lama visited Italy.
This visit created much controversy amongst the politicians in Italy. As many
in Sri Lanka
would expect, the controversy was not about a Buddhist Religious leader
visiting a predominantly Catholic country. No, the controversy was the Italian
reaction to the attitude of the Chinese government. China
opposed the visit of Dalai Lama, because of the Nobel laureate's campaign for
independence for Tibet which
Beijing regards as part of China.
China will soon become an
economic powerhouse and global giant. Most industrialized countries like Italy have strong trade relations with China. An angry
Beijing informed the Italian Government that
serious consequences would follow if the Dalai Lama was allowed to visit Italy. In fact,
the Chinese government warned that visa applications of Italians seeking to
visit China
would be delayed by as long as three weeks. Most countries would bow down to
such pressure and refuse an entry permit to the Dalai Lama. Some time ago,
there was much controversy in Sri Lanka
when the Dalai Lama was invited to visit Sri Lanka by 'Malewana
Hamuduruwo'.
But,
neither the Italian government nor the Mayor of Milan wilted under such
pressure. The football stadium, where the Dalai Lama was to make his address,
was packed with more than Ten Thousand people, some who had paid nearly 1000
Euros (Rs. 160,000.00) to obtain a seat close to the
Dalai Lama. He spoke about the Four Noble Truths and the crowd was engrossed in
the content of his sermon.
He
spoke about the Chinese intervention in Tibet
and said China
was enforcing a policy of depriving Buddhist monks of essential food and clothing.
The visit of the Dalai Lama was a great success. The Italian public and the
main opposition party were furious that the Prime Minister did not receive him.
Others were critical of the Pope for not affording the welcome that the Noble
Peace laureate deserved. This is Italy, a Roman Catholic Country.
It
is my contention what most countries in the Middle East and in some parts of
Asia and even in the US
are undergoing today what the Italians had undergone many centuries ago. It was
Russell who commented that when one traverses the globe one could intertwine in
a time wrap taking one back to the middle or the dark ages and the Renaissance
and civilization. Many countries are still in the Middle
Ages.
Killing
for the glory of God was a trait common to the Roman
Empire. Throwing Christians to the wild beasts and burning them at
stake too was common. Then when the Emperor became Christian, the same applied
to the non-believers. But today, after centuries of civilization, Italians have
become so broadminded and tolerant that they could assemble and listen to one
of the most revered religious figures in the world like the Dalai Lama.
To
all those who decide to commit murder for their belief, the Italian example of
tolerance, is a lesson for all. To understand the suffering of a minority is a
trait we have forgotten. This is the main reason for the ethnic divide. Where
else in the world, other than in Rome,
do university professors and students, together in unison, refuse to accept the
Pope as their chief guest?
For
the first time, a Pope did not attend the ceremony in Rome
at the foremost University in Rome
for security reasons. The Professors and students expressed the view that the
present Pope was against science. The prosecution of Galileo became an issue
and a professor insisted that the Church must tender an unconditional apology
for what they considered a heinous crime against development and science.
Italy has reached the level of civilisation only few nations have achieved. When any Sri
Lankan says that Italians are the most tolerant people in the world, I say
amen!