Restoration: Pont. Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone told the Italian daily La Stampa that the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue is to be restored.

This is the office primarily in charge of dialogue with Islam. 

Last year, Pope Benedict merged the department with the Pontifical Council for Culture and sent the former president, Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald to an assignment in Cairo.

Some are going to say that this reflects "weakness" in Benedict’s abililty to bring a new direction to the Roman curia.  

Some are going to say that this is appeasment payment for the upcoming Motu Proprio.

Some are going to say that Benedict is finally starting to listen to people around him so that he does not anger Muslims.

Some are going to say that Benedict has a larger project of bringing the Church’s voice more firmly into the public square and dialogue with Islam is necessarily part of that project.