Pope Emeritus Benedict is someone who has spent practically all his adult life in the academic and ecclesiastical institutions and last three decades in the Vatican. The joy of sharing one's joy after encountering Christ is one thing and academic speculation about the uniqueness of Christ quite another. I refer to your editorial “Pope Benedict’s Fearful Words (The Tablet, 1 November). We have ample examples for both in history. As far as it is known Pope Benedict has no experience of living his Christian faith outside Europe.
A person who has really encountered Christ at the experiential level will not engage in polemic religious language. He/she will not waste time in comparing different religions. If one has only academic speculation to offer and is not a living witness, the words are empty and useless. Pope Benedict can afford to speak and write academically from the comfort and security of the Vatican. Will he dare to go to Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq or Pakistan and speak the same?
An ancient adage says one who speaks does not know and one knows does not speak. It is very true in the context of academic hair-splitting about matters truly religious.
A catholic priest from Asia
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