REBECCA ALPERT, associate professor of religion, specializes in contemporary American religion, religion and sexuality and American Judaism.

Alpert stresses the importance of maintaining dialogue.

“Because dialogue among religions is so important, I am pleased that Pope Benedict XVI has set up visits with the Jewish community,” Alpert said.

“Some Jewish leaders think this would be a great opportunity to issue a statement regarding the prayer of conversion that still exists in Catholic doctrine and about which most Catholics are unaware,” she explained.

Alpert added, “The visit may indeed be an excellent opportunity to highlight the Pope’s difficult but hopefully improving relationship with members of the Jewish community.”

TERRY REY, associate professor of religion, specializes in African and African diasporic religions.

According to Rey, projections indicate that by 2020 fully half of all Catholics in the US will have Spanish surnames. “I would hope that when the Pope addresses the American people that he says at least a few words in Spanish,” said Rey.

“This would be perceived as an expression of gratitude to immigrants in America in general both for contributing so much to establishing the Catholic Church here and for representing one of its true sources of reinvigoration,” Rey noted.

“Such a gesture would also reflect welcome support for the US Catholic Church’s admirable leadership in the struggle for the rights of immigrants in the country,” he said.

Rey added, “And because Pope Benedict has spoken out forcefully against the Iraq War the visit offers him an opportunity to stress that in Catholic theology even a just war exemplifies humanity’s sinfulness, to say nothing of an unjust war.”