Qu’ran honored at California cathedral
September 16, 2010
Representatives of different religions, including members of the Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, and Druid communities, took part in an interfaith "blessing" of the Qu’ran at Sacramento’s Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on September 11. During the ceremony, Father Michael Kiernan, rector of the cathedral, read from the Beatitudes.
“The majority of people don’t want other people’s holy objects to be desecrated,” said Father Anthony Garibaldi. “As a Christian, we don’t wanna do anything that we ourselves wouldn’t want,” a local televsion station quoted him as saying.
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Further information:
- Peace doves fly over Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (Sacramento Bee)
- Sacramento interfaith leaders plan 9/11 ‘blessing of peace’ on Quran (Sacramento Bee)
- Dozens offer blessings to Quran at Sacramento interfaith service (News 10)
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Posted by: garedawg -
Sep. 17, 2010 12:52 AM ET USA
I wonder how large is the Druid-American community.
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Posted by: samuel.doucette1787 -
Sep. 16, 2010 10:33 PM ET USA
At first I thought this was one of Diogenes' satire columns! So let me get this straight, the holy book of an anti-Christian violent false religion is blessed inside a Catholic cathedral by a Catholic priest in the presence of Druids! This cathedral is located in a city named for the Blessed Sacrament. Just checking!
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Posted by: Mike in Toronto -
Sep. 16, 2010 9:03 PM ET USA
I need someone to explain to me how the "scripture" of a false religion is a "holy object." I'm listening.
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Posted by: Chestertonian -
Sep. 16, 2010 7:35 PM ET USA
Where was the local bishop while this nonsense was going on? And while we're listing errors in the Qu'ran, let's not forget the parts that say it's okay for a man to beat his wife. The Qu'ran may be sacred to Muslims, but it isn't sacred to Catholics, and certainly doesn't deserve a blessing by a Catholic priest. We may give respect to it, but that's as far as we need go. It couldn't be given an imprimatur, so it shouldn't be blessed!
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Posted by: jeremiahjj -
Sep. 16, 2010 7:16 PM ET USA
I didn't read anything here that would offend the Lord or desecrate his church. Back when I was an Episcopalian, the choir I sang in was invited to sing for Holy Mass at San Marco in Venice. I don't remember the venerable old church falling down. Indeed, I found it quite moving and the experience probably played a role in my conversion.
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Sep. 16, 2010 6:36 PM ET USA
Let's see. Can I imagine St. Athanasius participating in an interfaith ceremony with emperor worshippers, blessing the writings of Arius? Not hardly. We have to always remember that Islam is a Christian heresy. You don't bless heretical writings. At best, we tolerate them.
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Posted by: usalis549414 -
Sep. 16, 2010 5:56 PM ET USA
I can't wait for the photos and story of the blessing of a Douay Rheims Bible in a mosque or synagogue! Of course, I won't be holding my breath.
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Posted by: Justin8110 -
Sep. 16, 2010 5:05 PM ET USA
well he is right in that most people do not want their sacred books/objects desecrated but he takes it too far by blessing them which just gives the impression of religious indifferentism/relativism. Unfortunately this sort of "you do your thing we'll do ours" and "it's all the same anyway" mentality is everywhere today, even in the highest levels of the Church.
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Posted by: -
Sep. 16, 2010 4:10 PM ET USA
Have these people read it? I've started, and, admittedly, haven't got very far, but my initial opinion is that it is an incoherent rant.
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Posted by: -
Sep. 16, 2010 2:28 PM ET USA
No doubt druids were included to add gravitas.
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Posted by: extremeCatholic -
Sep. 16, 2010 6:50 AM ET USA
Rather than reading from the Bible to bless the Koran, the parts of the Koran which advocate unrelenting war against infidels, including Christians ans Jews who were entitled to be enslaved, should have been read.
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Posted by: Saved by Grace -
Sep. 16, 2010 6:29 AM ET USA
Is it necessary to go this far in appeasing Muslims? There are things in the Koran that are contrary to our faith -- like Jesus being a prophet and not the son of God - just for starters! Why do something pro-actively to lend credence to a book that is very flawed? Is it no longer enough to voice opposition to maniacs who think desecrating the flawed holy books of others is a grand idea? Why do we have to bless those flawed works?
