VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI has taken another step to placate anger in the Islamic world over his remarks on holy war, making additions to his original text affirming that a quotation from a 14th century Byzantine emperor was not his personal opinion.
The Sept. 12 speech that set off protests around the Muslim world said the pope intended to "supply a subsequent version of this text, complete with footnotes." He has done that in recent days, with the English version released on the Vatican's Web site Monday.
The original speech, given at Germany's Regensburg University where he once taught, quoted the emperor 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."
The original said the emperor's remark was made "somewhat brusquely." In the new version, it says it was made with "a brusqueness that we find unacceptable."
Benedict added in a footnote: "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."
He said he cited the text as part of an examination of the "relationship between faith and reason."
Since the uproar over the speech — which has raised a cloud over his planned visit next month to Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country — Benedict has expressed his regrets for offending Muslims. He has met with diplomats from Muslim countries, saying the two faiths must overcome historic enmities and together reject violence.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox