THE POPE AND ISLAM

by RAY FLEMING
POPE Benedict's apology yesterday to Muslims, for what they have seen as offensive in a speech he made last Tuesday, was probably unprecedented in the history of Catholicism. Even so his words were carefully qualified. The puzzle is that Pope Benedict should have thought it necessary to start what has been described as a long, scholarly address on reason and faith in the West with a quotation from a provocative statement made in the 14th century. On his behalf it has been emphasized that he made clear the words were a quotation but, apparently, he did not say whether or not he agreed with them. The words, spoken in 1391 by the Byzantine Christian emperor, Manuel Paleologus, were these: “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.” One obvious response to the use of this quotation is to say that Islam is not the only religion to have spread its faith by the sword. Before Benedict became Pope he was widely regarded as a “hard-liner” on theological questions. In 2004 he spoke out against Turkey's bid to join the European Union, saying that, as a Muslim country, it was “in permanent contrast to Europe”. He is due to visit Turkey in November but it may be wise for that plan to be postponed.