Pope’s respect for Islam ||| Report by CNN

Italy: Pope Benedict told Muslim
envoys on Monday that Christian and Muslim believers must reject
violence, in an audience meant to defuse anger at his use of quotes
saying Islam was spread by the sword.

The Pope expressed his “esteem and
profound respect” for members of the Islamic faith in a meeting with
diplomatic envoys from some 20 Muslim countries plus the leaders of
Italy’s own Muslim community at his summer residence, Castelgandolfo.

“Christians and Muslims must learn to work
together in order to guard against all forms of intolerance and to
oppose all manifestations of violence,” said the 79-year-old Pope.

It was the fourth time he had tried to
make amends to Muslims, without actually apologising directly, for a
speech at a university in his native Germany on September 12.

The leader of more than 1 billion Roman
Catholics has expressed regret at the response to his quoting
14th-century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, who said the
Prophet Mohammad commanded his followers “to spread by the sword the
faith he preached”.

The Pope has said his intention was to explain that religion goes together with reason, not with violence.

His speech to Muslim envoys, delivered in
French but also immediately made available by the Vatican in Arabic,
made repeated references to the need for dialogue between faiths.

Mario Scialoja, an adviser to the Italian
section of the World Muslim League who attended the audience, said
afterwards he thought it was a “very good and warm speech”.

“He recalled the differences but expressed
his willingness to continue in a cordial and fruitful dialogue, said
Scialoja, who added that he “had not been expecting another apology”.

The envoys invited included those from
major Muslim countries such as Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran
and Iraq, plus the Arab League.

Thousands of Muslims demonstrated against
the Pope after last Friday’s prayers at mosques around the world, but
the anger and the size of the protests appears to be diminishing.

The Pope is facing the toughest
international crisis since his election in April, 2005, and the
vehemence of some reactions has raised doubts about a planned trip to
Turkey in November.

Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turk who tried to
kill Pope John Paul II in 1981, warned Benedict not to travel to
Turkey, saying his life would be at risk.

SOURCE : CNN IBN

The Pope is making amends to his previous sentences… Well, I don’t know how far people will accept it, but for the good of his popedom, people better accept it :P


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September 25, 2006 | Filed Under General World | 2 Comments 

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