latest news on the inappropriate remarks from missa pop
-bold parts boldened by the blogger.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5353208.stm
The Pope will be under intense scrutiny as he issues Sunday's Angelus blessing.
In a speech on Tuesday he quoted a 14th Century Christian emperor who said the Prophet Muhammad had brought the world only "evil and inhuman" things.
A Vatican statement on Saturday said he was "very sorry" if his comments had offended and that he "esteems Muslims".
Insurgent 'threat'
Police are promising meticulous security checks in an extended area around Sunday's blessing at his residence at Castel Gandolfo near Rome but said they would be discreet so as not to disturb the prayers.
| | The Holy Father is very sorry that some passages of his speech may have sounded offensive to the sensibilities of Muslim believers Tarcisio Bertone Vatican secretary of state |
The BBC's Christian Fraser in Rome says the Pope will be under huge diplomatic pressure and he knows that the world will be expecting a comment on the past week's events.
However, our correspondent says it is unlikely he will go further than the apology issued on Saturday.
Reading the statement, new Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said the Pope's position on Islam was in line with Vatican teaching that the Church "esteems Muslims, who adore the only God".
"The Holy Father is very sorry that some passages of his speech may have sounded offensive to the sensibilities of Muslim believers," the statement said.
| | HAVE YOUR SAY Pope Benedict probably should self-criticise Christianity's violent past before commenting on the other faith John Lin, Illinois |
The incident led Morocco to withdraw its ambassador to the Vatican, calling the comments "offensive".
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said the apology did not go far enough and called on the pontiff to say sorry in person.
"The Vatican Secretary of State says that the Pope is sorry because his statements had been badly interpreted, but there is no bad interpretation," Abdel Moneim Abul Futuh, a senior official from the party told AFP news agency.
A statement on a web site purportedly issued by the Iraqi insurgent group, the Mujahideen Army, threatened an attack on the Vatican. The statement could not be independently authenticated.
Our correspondent says the crisis could not have come at a worse time for the Pope.
Not only is he due to visit Muslim Turkey in November but he has also recently appointed two new men to the jobs of secretary of state and head of diplomacy at the Vatican.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said the comments had been "ugly and unfortunate" and when asked if the Pope's trip would go ahead, he said: "I wouldn't know."
Protests
In his speech at Regensburg University on Tuesday, the German-born Pope quoted Emperor Manuel II Paleologos of the Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire.
Stressing that they were not his own words, he quoted the emperor saying: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
He also said that violence was "incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul".
Reactions to the speech have come from such leaders as Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who said efforts to link Islam and terrorism should be clearly opposed.
Street protests have been held in Pakistan, India, Turkey and Gaza.
In the West Bank city of Nablus, two churches were firebombed on Saturday in attacks claimed by a group which said it was protesting against the Pope's remarks.
posted by rubadubstyle @ 10:26 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home