Pope Benedict tried again today to quiet the storm of controversy that erupted over his remarks about Islam and violence given during a lecture to scientists and theologians last week.
Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that he was “deeply sorry” about the angry reaction to his recent remarks about Islam, which he said came from a text that didn’t reflect his personal opinion.“These (words) were in fact a quotation from a Medieval text which do not in any way express my personal thought,” Benedict told pilgrims at his summer palace outside Rome.
The pope sparked the controversy when, in a speech to German university professors Tuesday, he cited the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, Islam’s founder, as “evil and inhuman.”
“At this time I wish also to add that I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims,” the pope said Sunday.
The remarks follow a similar statement released yesterday by the Vatican in which the Pope expressed “regret” for remarks made during the lecture and that “some passages of his speech may have sounded offensive to the sensibilities of Muslim believers.”
Note here that all the Pope did was substitute the word “sorry” for “regret.” He is still speaking of the reaction to the speech while not apologizing directly for the content. He clarified that the words which gave offense were not his own but rather the statements of a 15th century Byzantine ruler.
Will this appease the church burners and potential papal assassins who are currently being allowed to run wild in the streets of the Middle East? If their “outrage” was indeed due to the Pope’s remarks, then it should have a salutary affect on their hurt feelings.
But of course, the violence is not about “outrage” over anything. It is simple blood lust directed against people of another faith. The Imams and other religious leaders who have ratcheted up this violent response to the Pope’s words find it a most convenient device to control their flocks of ignorant, 7th century peasants while extremists with a political agenda seek to use the violence for their own nefarious purposes.
Most disturbing is that once again, so called “moderate” Muslims have jumped aboard the extremist bandwagon and piggybacked their own causes and concerns on top of the those of the mob in order to horn in on the publicity and victimhood occasioned by the Pope’s statement:
In Turkey, however, where the Pope is due to visit in November, the deputy leader of the ruling party said Benedict had “a dark mentality that comes from the darkness of the middle ages”. Salih Kapusuz added: “He is going down in history in the same category as leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini.”Representatives of the two million Turks in Germany, where the comments were made, also expressed deep annoyance. The head of the Turkish community, Kenan Kolat, said they were “very dangerous” and liable to misunderstanding.
The next step is for these “moderate” Muslims to solemnly condemn the violence (churches were firebombed all over the West Bank) while piously calling for “dialogue” and “understanding.” And sure enough, the guilt tripping west will meekly obey, taking part in high profile meetings with local Muslim leaders who will chide the west for their “ignorance” and demand special considerations for the Muslim community. The fact that these “considerations” are designed to further isolate Muslims from the rest of western society thus increasing the power and influence of the Muslim leadership is the ultimate goal of these “moderates.”
It’s nothing less than a con game and we should be on to these grifters by now. Unfortunately, the “moderates” know exactly which buttons to push in order to increase their status as victims in the eyes of guilt ridden western liberals while feeding their anti-religious bias against the Pope. Comparing Benedict to Mussolini and Hitler is about as absurd as it gets and yet, the charge resonates with many on the European left who see the conservative Pontiff and the papacy in general as holdovers from a time when religious wars racked the continent. Certainty about right and wrong behavior or who is good and who is evil as expressed by the Pope and the Catholic church smacks of anti-modernism where it is preferred that relativism be substituted for the moral certitudes found emanating from the Vatican.
All of this is irrelevant to the mobs who have obediently turned out to protest words and ideas that are far beyond their comprehension. The subtlety found in the Pope’s lecture regarding reason and violence – with God being pure reason and hence violence being incompatible with his existence – could have been embraced by people of all faiths if they bothered to look at the Pontiff’s words in their totality. But as we have become all too aware recently, trying to explain the violence by positing a cause and effect scenario is useless. It is not any particular causal happenstance that drives the fanatics into the streets and urges them on to burn churches or kill Christians. It is a disease. It is for the sake of violence alone that the mobs act as they do, the rationale being no rationale is necessary.
I can see why the Pope has issued this second, personal statement trying to explain that he meant no offense in his words. I fear however, that he and most other well meaning western leaders fail to grasp the true nature of the extremists who lurk behind the mobs, goading them on in order to achieve ends that have little to do with religion and everything to do with power and influence.
UPDATE
Michelle Malkin has the horrible news of an Italian nun shot in the back three times and killed by a Somali gunman. The sister was working at the local hospital and was gunned down by what Malkin correctly refers to as “Animals. Cowards. Barbarians.”
The attack came hours after a Somali cleric called for the assassination of the Pope.
And Michelle points out that Benedict did not apologize for the content of his lecture but rather for the reaction to it.
7:26 am
It will do no good, no matter what he says.
It was just reported that in Somalia they shot and killed a nun, these people are mindless murdering islamic facists …
PERIOD.
8:06 am
All the Pope can do at this point is convert to Islam. Load up the Pope mobile, pack it full of bombs and drive into a crowd of jews or US soldiers, maybe even the US Embassy in Rome. That might get him off the hook.
8:29 am
If the Pope caves, there will be nobody left to man the gates. While not Catholic, I am sure hoping he has the guts to stand his ground…. but I doubt he will.
8:32 am
Steve:
I’m not so sure he’ll give in. He’s had two opportunities to apologize for what he said and instead has apologized for the reaction to what he said.
Yes it’s a thin line but he hasn’t crossed it and, given the entire message contained in his lecture, I don’t think he will.
8:50 am
I would to hear him say, “you muslims are proving my point. Now get down on your knees and convert to Christianity.Do it or the new crusades start tomorrow” But he will cave. I hope not but he will.
8:54 am
On the set of Meet the Press – a Satire
Here’s what happens when we visit Meet the Press to administer truth serum into the coffee…
9:03 am
Italian nun killed; Pope sorry for Muslim reaction
***scroll for updates*** Shot in the back three times. Fox News says four times in the back by two “armed gunmen” with pistols. The elderly victim worked at a hospital for mothers and children. Her bodyguard and another hospital worker…
9:34 am
PopE concedes
5 churches attacked in Palestinian areas following Pope’s comments on Is-lam — Palestinians wielding guns and firebombs attacked five churches in the West Bank and Gaza on Saturday, following remarks by Pope Benedict that angered many Mus&#...
10:00 am
Right now Christianity Islam and Judaism are leading us all against each other into the Apocalypse Nuclear World War 3 the extinction of life on Earth forever.
The sick part is that the Christians and Muslims are trying to hasten the Apocalypse because they believe that this will usher in the advent of the Messiahs Jesus Christ and The Mahdi. Only The Temple of Love – The World Peace Religion makes peace among and unites Christianity Islam Judaism and Everyone else as the first step towards World Peace. It is the plan laid out by God od Mount Sinai aka God the Father, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, Allah and Adonai through every single Biblical Prophet of all 3 religions.
10:36 am
I would say the next target for the dirty bombs/truck bombs will be the vatican.
The question is will The west surrender at that point or go really on the offense.
11:01 am
I think the irony is nearly overwhelming. Honestly, words nearly fail me – are these Musliim swine for real? Sorry, excuse my redundant question – to the nun they’ve killed and the congregations they’ve left homeless by burning those churches, they are all too real alright! Well, as a (formerly) non-extremist Catholic I can honestly tell you, the over-reaction to the Pope’s WORDS, following on from the treatment of that Danish cartoonist, has left me feeling extremely hostile toward Muslims everywhere and hoping that my church rises up to use it’s far superior firepower to wipe this ugly blemish of a religion from the face of the planet! Yes, that’s right, I, a non-hostile Catholic, has become so angered by these animals that I now hope they DO bring their f***ing Jihad here and get wiped out once and for all by my God-fearing, peaceful church. It’s at times like this I actually get behind the likes of George Bush as the lesser of two evils. Whilst he doesn’t represent MY religion, at least he’ll try and protect me and my family from these vile, unhinged barbarians. I really hope it has come to the point that Christians the world over draw a line and finally stop pandering to these filth – we never wanted violence or hostility, but they brought it. What is wrong with these people that they aren’t happy until they have someone (e.g. Salman Rushtie, cartoonists, the Pope, country’s and Presidents) to sentence to DEATH - they really are animals and my only regret is that the Pope even tried to open discourse with these vermin. See the rewards for trying to pander to these violent wretches? He’s got them threatening to send SUICIDE bombers into his f***ing home!! Seriously like, what is this like???? I’m too angry to type. Dirty Muslim scum, dirty, dirty, dirty.
Matt
11:59 am
Wondering What Liberal Catholics think of Peaceful Islam Now
More to come on this..A NUN being killed and CHURCHES BURNED
!
Michelle Malkin: Italian nun killed;Pope sorry for Muslim reaction
Via AP: Italian nun shot dead by Somali gunmen
Captain’s Quarters: The Religion Of The Peace Of Surr …
12:25 pm
Oh, The Outrage!
So the Pope apologized once again, saying that the words spoken in the 15th Century that he quoted in his speech was not how HE felt:
Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that he was “deeply sorry” about the angry reaction to his recent remarks ab…
12:32 pm
The Vatican Rag
Seems that quite a few folks are ragging on the Vatican and its promulgation of statements and clarifications, though most of those denigrating the Pope are Muslims who are not yet appeased. All this comes as a result of the Pope’s theological discus…
1:04 pm
Has anyone noticed the deafening silence of the political left about this whole mess? I wonder why? Because they would have to defend Christians? Because they believe the Pope deserves it? Hmmm…
1:06 pm
Has anyone noticed the deafening silence of the political left about this whole mess? I wonder why? Because they would have to defend Christians? Because they believe the Pope deserves it? Hmmm…
2:02 pm
The Pope should not apologize for telling it like it is. The violent reaction of the Muslim world has spoken volumes about the ‘religion’, and has proven the Pope’s quote to be true. Killing a nun…? Come on, is that what Allah would really want?
2:09 pm
[...] Michelle Malkin has Italian nun killed; Pope sorry for Muslim reaction Rick Moran: You cannot appease the unappeasable. [...]
2:28 pm
Oriana Fallaci dies and Pope Benedict XVIth is menaced by Islamic fundamentalists
2:39 pm
Ann
I also noticed the silence of the left. They are not going to defend Christians. They hate Christians. Their hatred of all things Christian unites them with Islamic extremists.
3:22 pm
[...] The pope says I’m sorry that you guys didn’t like the speech, but ummm…yer kinda proving my point…. I don’t know if I agree with Rick that he is trying to appease these unappeasable folk. Benedict is not groveling. [...]
6:21 pm
Italian Nun Murdered in Somalia
Her murder comes after a Somali Muslim leader demanded jihad against the Pope. From the AP: MOGADISHU, Somalia – An elderly Italian nun who devoted her life to helping the sick in Africa was shot dead by two gunmen at…
11:41 am
The whole aspect of Islamists being offended, and therefore reacting in the way which says’we will be violent’ or ‘we will make all authority submit to us’ needs challenging by every individual who loves freedom. The freedom of thought, opinion, politics, philosphy , all which we hold dear in our right for fredom of choice is being attacked. We need to say NO, this is not right, NO I do not agree with your idealogy, and also whatever you say, or claim Islam is not peaceful, the truth is Islam is violent and has no understanding of
love, life, respect, hapiness and care for others.
5:26 pm
The Pope may have had another purpose in focusing attention on the Byzantine Empire, a highly cultured, Christian- Roman civilization that pre-existed in the areas conquered by the Islamic Empires that replaced it. Not for Byzantine’s record for religious toleration, but rather by the consideration that several modern Islamic claims are contradicted by the historic evidence found from Byzantine’s very existence and final bloody ending. For example, that Islam has a legal and historical claim to enforce its religious control over certain regions.
The Byzantine emperor expressed fear and abhorrence of Islamic violence for valid historical reasons. His civilization was under brutal assault by the Islamic armies. He was not an ignorant, irrational bigot. Yet, I find few people know or remember the significant details of Byzantine’s existence and final bloody ending.
Islamic leaders have a tradition of ignoring the prior claims of other religions and civilizations that pre-existed Islamic dominance. Part of the Imams’ anger may have also been provoked by their consternation that Byzantine’s long buried historical lessons has been brought to world attention.
If you are interested, I posted a more complete version of this argument:
Islam Attempts to Silence an Historic Warning
http://loathlylady.blogspot.com/2006/09/imams-attempt-to-silence-historical.html
2:55 pm
You print the following:
Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that he was “deeply sorry†about the angry reaction to his recent remarks about Islam, which he said came from a text that didn’t reflect his personal opinion.
Surely the Pope can see the difference between being sorry about what people feel he meant and what he himself felt he meant?
And if you say God is Love, Love is Logos, and everyone from Socrates to the Protestants are now (all of a sudden-like) at one with the mystical body of the Logos that can be found in Regensburg and the Vatican, but that , at the same time, Islam doesn’t quite make the grade, shouldn’t he be sorry for what he said rather than for what others heard?
And if he feels he has nothign to be sorry for—why run to Turkey to welcome them (all of a sudden-like) into Europe, whcih is too secular anyway, even for Christians?
Isn’t the Pope a tad confusing…?
Seamus Breathnach
Dublin
http://www.irishcriminology.com
2:19 am
Your corresondend Ann Whalen writes:
1:06 pm
Has anyone noticed the deafening silence of the political left about this whole mess? I wonder why? Because they would have to defend Christians? Because they believe the Pope deserves it? Hmmm…
A further correspondent, Matt writes, inter alia,
11:01 am
I think the irony is nearly overwhelming. Honestly, words nearly fail me – are these Musliim swine for real? Sorry, excuse my redundant question – to the nun they’ve killed and the congregations they’ve left homeless by burning those churches, they are all too real alright! Well, as a (formerly) non-extremist Catholic I can honestly tell you, the over-reaction to the Pope’s WORDS, following on from the treatment of that Danish cartoonist, has left me feeling extremely hostile toward Muslims everywhere and hoping that my church rises up to use it’s far superior firepower to wipe this ugly blemish of a religion from the face of the planet! Yes, that’s right, I, a non-hostile Catholic, has become so angered by these animals that I now hope they DO bring their f***ing Jihad here and get wiped out once and for all by my God-fearing, peaceful church. It’s at times like this I actually get behind the likes of George Bush as the lesser of two evils.
In the first case, the Pope gave his Regensburg Lecture all on his ownio. No one asked him to bear such an animus for other religions, especially after his condemnation of the Danish cartoons. Secondly, the left could not imagine that Tony Blair, the socialist with the mostest, would be recruited by Pope Benedict XVI to do precisely what he did. Thirdly, I think Miss Ann Whalen might realise that while Islam, Judaism and Christianity, have much hatreds in commone, It wasn’t Islam who universally attacked and hated pagans, Albigensians, Cathari, the Jews, W|itches, Huegonots, Protestants, Spanish Anarchists, the Socialists, the Communists, or who enslaved most of the world.All she has to do is read Matt’s contribution to find out who did.
Matt is a perfect Christian. Underneath his rather thin surface is a roaring lion, championing at the bit. He imagines that Islam did this to him. And while it is true that Islam maybe the spark for his self-conflagration, such hate and anger were primed for years and years.
Matt is the Tertullian effect of all Christian education, combustible, irrational, blind and violent throughout.
While I am amazed that the Editor allows such language on the internet, I believe in this case it is a virtue, if only people would read it. To date it has passed most commentators without comment. Is that because we are innured to such Christian violence!!
Seamus Breathnach
http://www.irish-criminology.com