In Jordan, pope stresses Christian-Muslim harmony

AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) -- On the second day of his visit to the Middle East, Pope Benedict XVI stressed the need for harmony and unity between Christians and Muslims.

"Muslims and Christians, precisely because of the burden of our common history, so often marked by misunderstanding, must today strive to be known and recognized as worshippers of God, faithful to prayer, eager to uphold and lift by the Almighty decrees," the pontiff said in an address at the King Hussein Bin Talal mosque in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

Often, "it is the ideological manipulation of religion, sometimes for political ends, that is a real catalyst for tension and division" between faiths, the pope said.

Pope Benedict also spoke about Iraq's Christians, asking the international community to "do everything possible to ensure that the ancient Christian community of that noble land has a fundamental right to peaceful coexistence with their fellow citizens." Watch how Jordanians feel about the pope's visit »

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the pope did not pray inside the mosque.

The pontiff arrived Friday in Amman for a weeklong visit to the Middle East that he said he hopes will "foster good relations between Christians and Muslims."

It is the first papal visit to some of Christianity's most holy places since Pope John Paul II made the pilgrimage in 2000. Watch the difference between two popes: the populist and the professor »

"My visit to Jordan gives me a welcome opportunity to speak of my deep respect for the Muslim community and to be treated to the leadership shown by his majesty, the king ... in promoting a better understanding of the virtues proclaimed by Islam," the pontiff said in a brief address shortly after arriving in the city.

Two years ago, Pope Benedict XVI gave a speech that caused friction between the Muslim and Christian communities when he quoted a Byzantine emperor who said the teachings of Islam's Prophet Mohammed were "evil and inhuman."

The remarks sparked an outcry from Muslims around the world, and the pope later apologized, saying the emperor's words did not express his personal convictions.

On Monday, the pope flies to Tel Aviv to begin his visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. He is scheduled to pay courtesy visits to Jerusalem's Muslim grand mufti and two chief rabbis. The pontiff will return to Rome next Friday.

The pope has also faced tension with Jews during his four years as head of the Roman Catholic Church, after he reinstated a bishop who had been excommunicated after he denied the Holocaust.

Bishop Richard Williamson was one of four bishops excommunicated 20 years ago for belonging to a group that rebelled against the Vatican's modernizing reforms in the 1960s.

All four bishops were reinstated in January, but shortly before that, Williamson said in an interview with Swedish television that he did not believe that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler deliberately set out to murder Jews, or that there were gas chambers at the Auschwitz death camp.

The Vatican ordered Williamson to recant and said the pope was not aware of Williamson's views on the Holocaust when he lifted the excommunication.

Pope Benedict later admitted to making mistakes in the decision, saying the church should have been aware of his views. Williamson apologized for his remarks but did not recant them.

Televangelism empire in chaos over family split

Gillian Flaccus - Associated Press Writer - 2/1/2009 7:15:00 AMBookmark and Share

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. - Once one of the nation's most popular televangelists, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller is watching his life's work crumble.



His son and recent successor, the Rev. Robert A. Schuller, has abruptly resigned as senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral. The shimmering, glass-walled megachurch is home to the "Hour of Power" broadcast, an evangelism staple that's been on the air for more than three decades.



The church is in financial turmoil: It plans to sell more than $65 million worth of its Orange County property to pay off debt. Revenue dropped by nearly $5 million last year, according to a recent letter from the elder Schuller to elite donors. In the letter, Schuller Sr. implored the Eagle's Club members - who supply 30 percent of the church's revenue - for donations and hinted that the show might go off the air without their support.



"The final months of 2008 were devastating for our ministry," the 82-year-old pastor wrote.



The Crystal Cathedral blames the recession for its woes. But it's clear that the elder Schuller's carefully orchestrated leadership transition, planned over a decade, has stumbled badly.



It's a problem common to personality driven ministries. Most have collapsed or been greatly diminished after their founders left the pulpit or died.

Members often tie their donations to the pastor, not the institution, said Nancy Ammerman, a sociologist of religion at Boston University. Schuller, with a style that blends pop psychology and theology, has a particularly devoted following, she said.



"Viewers are probably much less likely to give when it's not their preacher they're giving to," she said. "There's something about these televised programs where people develop a certain loyalty."



Today's increasingly fragmented media landscape is also to blame, said Quentin Schultze, a Calvin College professor who specializes in Christian media.

Church-based televangelism led by powerful personalities filled TV in the 1980s, but now only a handful of shows remain, he said. Among the struggling ministries are those of Oral Roberts and the late D. James Kennedy of "The Coral Ridge Hour" TV show.



"I don't see a scenario for maintaining a TV-based megachurch anymore. The days of doing that in the models of Schuller and Jimmy Swaggart and Oral Roberts are over," Schultze said. "It's amazing to me that the 'Hour of Power' was able to keep going as long as it did."

Through a spokesman, Schuller Sr., his family members and other cathedral officials declined to comment. The younger Schuller, 54, did not respond to an e-mail requesting an interview.



The elder Schuller, who called his weekly show "America's Television Church," founded his ministry in a drive-in theater after moving to Southern California in 1955.



He studied marketing strategies to attract worshippers and preached a feel-good Christianity, describing himself as a "possibility thinker" and spinning his upbeat style into a 10,000-member church and a broadcast watched by millions worldwide.



The church's main sanctuary, the Crystal Cathedral, is a landmark designed by renowned architect Philip Johnson, with a spire visible from afar amid Orange County's suburban sprawl. Thousands make the pilgrimage to see where the broadcast is filmed before a live congregation.



The Schullers consider the church a family business and the younger Schuller's 2006 appointment was sanctioned by the Crystal Cathedral's parent denomination, the Reformed Church in America.



But the church announced on Nov. 29 that Schuller Jr. had resigned as senior pastor, just a month after he was removed from the church's syndicated broadcasts. In a news release, Schuller Sr. said: "Robert and I have been struggling as we each have different ideas as to the direction and the vision for this ministry."



The church has since instituted a rotating roster of high-profile guest preachers, including Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church, the Chicago-area megachurch, and evangelist Luis Palau.



Schuller Sr.'s daughters and sons-in-law remain involved in the church, some in key roles. But Juan Carlos Ortiz, the interim senior pastor, hopes to appoint a senior pastor with no ties to the Schuller family within two years.



On the church Web site, concerned members and TV fans have posted hundreds of comments protesting the upheaval, with some indicating they have stopped giving or will leave altogether.



Several angry viewers have launched petitions to get the younger Schuller back.



Melody Mook, a 58-year-old medical transcriptionist from El Paso, Texas, said she stopped her $25 monthly donation and is looking elsewhere for her spiritual needs. She said she dislikes the guest pastors.



"I feel hurt and confused and I'm not sure that I want to sit and watch when I know there's problems beneath the surface," she said. "You feel like you're in somebody else's church every Sunday."



Others said they felt betrayed that the Schullers couldn't put God before their family spat.



"They have not been forthcoming at all," said John Dewart, an insurance agent from New Jersey who's watched for 30 years. "Why can't a father and son work together for the glory of God? That's my big question."