Pope Urges 'Moderation' Toward Peace

By Los Angeles Times
March 24, 2008

VATICAN CITY — Decrying modern "wounds that disfigure humanity," Pope Benedict XVI used a rain-soaked Easter Sunday to make a plea for the "moderation and forgiveness" that can bring peace to troubled parts of the world, especially the Middle East and Tibet.

And he praised the ongoing "miracle" of conversions, just 12 hours after baptizing as a Roman Catholic one of Italy's most controversial Muslims.

Tens of thousands of umbrella-toting pilgrims and tourists gathered in St. Peter's Square to hear the pope's Easter Mass as Christians around the world celebrated their holiest day, when they believe Jesus was resurrected.

Injustice, hatred, and violence "are the scourges of humanity, open and festering in every corner of the planet," the pope said in his traditional twice-a-year "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message at the end of the Mass.

He urged Tibet, Africa, and the Middle East to "seek solutions that will safeguard peace and the common good."

Cold wind whipped priests' cassocks and brightly colored tulips decorating the piazza, and rain drenched worshipers, diplomats, and the feather plumes of the Swiss guards.

The pope was protected under a large white canopy above the altar.

Perhaps the most unusual element of the Easter celebration was the attention being showered on the conversion to Christianity from Islam of Magdi Allam, a prominent Egyptian-born Italian newspaper editor and columnist.

Benedict, who baptized Mr. Allam at Saturday night's Easter vigil service, said a prayer during yesterday's ceremony that acclaimed the "miracle" of conversions, which he noted first populated the Christian faith.

Mr. Allam, 55, has attained celebrity status in Italy with his provocative critiques of Islam, especially radical Islam, and defense of Israel, positions that he says brought him death threats and earned him a government-supplied security detail.

By his own account, Mr. Allam was never a practicing Muslim, was raised by Catholics, is married to a Catholic and has lived most his life in Italy.

So his embrace of Catholicism was not surprising, although the Vatican kept his baptism a secret until the last moment.

In a letter he published yesterday in his newspaper, Corriere della Sera, Mr. Allam said he chose to convert after a "gradual and profound internal meditation" in which he concluded he had to abandon Islam.

"Beyond ... the phenomenon of extremists and Islamic terrorism at the world level, the root of evil is inherent in an Islam that is physiologically violent and historically conflictual," he wrote. Mr. Allam wrote that he realized he was probably dooming himself to "another death sentence" but said his baptism at the pope's hand was "the most beautiful day of my life."

He added that he was taking a new middle name: Cristiano, or Christian.