Pope Adds Apologetic Footnote to Official Text of Islam Speech

VATICAN CITY, Oct. 9 -- In his latest bid to clarify remarks that enraged the Muslim world, Pope Benedict XVI has added a cautiously worded footnote to the official text of the address he delivered at the University of Regensburg in Germany.

The footnote aimed to further assuage anger over Benedict's use of a quote by a medieval Christian ruler, referring to the teachings of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman" and "spread by the sword."

That comment has sent Christian-Muslim relations into a tailspin.
Numerous effigies of the pope have been burnt in public, a nun was shot dead in Somalia, and an Istanbul-bound plane was temporarily hijacked by a Turkish Christian who feared persecution.

On Monday (Oct. 9), a footnote appeared next to the offending quote on the official English version of Benedict's address posted on the Vatican's Web site.

"In the Muslim world, this quotation has unfortunately been taken as an expression of my personal position, thus arousing understandable indignation. I hope that the reader of my text can see immediately that this sentence does not express my personal view of the Quran, for which I have the respect due to the holy book of a great religion," Benedict said in the footnote.

In his address at the University of Regensburg on Sept. 12, Benedict had quoted the 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel Paleologos II as 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."

At the time, Benedict said the emperor had expressed his views on Islam "somewhat brusquely." On Monday, the official text was altered to say that Manuel II had spoken with "a brusqueness that we find unacceptable."

Since delivering the original speech, Benedict has said he was "deeply sorry" for the violent reaction to his address, and met with Muslim leaders and diplomats at the papal summer residence.

Many Muslim leaders have noted that Benedict did not apologize for actually making the offending comments and have called for an unequivocal apology.