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| Pope meets Islamic world envoys | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Pope Benedict XVI is meeting envoys from Muslim nations in an attempt to defuse a crisis in relations between the Catholic Church and Islam. | |
| The meeting will aim for reconciliation after recent remarks made by the Pope caused outrage in the Islamic world. | The meeting will aim for reconciliation after recent remarks made by the Pope caused outrage in the Islamic world. |
| He has since regretted causing offence and expressed "deep respect" for Islam. | He has since regretted causing offence and expressed "deep respect" for Islam. |
| The BBC's Rome correspondent says the Pope is making an unprecedented bid to try to convince Muslims he is serious about improving relations. | The BBC's Rome correspondent says the Pope is making an unprecedented bid to try to convince Muslims he is serious about improving relations. |
| Muslim leaders have been demanding an unequivocal apology from the Pope. | Muslim leaders have been demanding an unequivocal apology from the Pope. |
| EU Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso has defended the Pope, saying more European leaders should have supported him. | EU Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso has defended the Pope, saying more European leaders should have supported him. |
| "I was disappointed there were not more European leaders who said: 'Naturally, the Pope has the right to express his views'," Mr Barroso was quoted as saying in an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper. | "I was disappointed there were not more European leaders who said: 'Naturally, the Pope has the right to express his views'," Mr Barroso was quoted as saying in an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper. |
| "The problem is not the comments of the Pope but the reactions of the extremists." | "The problem is not the comments of the Pope but the reactions of the extremists." |
| Dialogue welcomed | Dialogue welcomed |
| The talks are being held at the Pope's residence near Rome. | |
| I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address... which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims Pope Benedict XVI Text of Pope's second speech Excerpts from original speech | I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address... which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims Pope Benedict XVI Text of Pope's second speech Excerpts from original speech |
| They include the head of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, Cardinal Paul Poupard, and Islamic representatives in Italy, as well as Muslim ambassadors to the Vatican. | |
| Envoys from Iran, Turkey and Morocco have all confirmed their attendance. | |
| The Pope's top Vatican advisers are present, and Pope Benedict was expected to open the discussions with a speech that he has been writing during the weekend, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome. | |
| Cardinal Poupard said that the meeting was "a signal that the Holy Father's call for a dialogue between cultures and religion has been widely welcomed". | Cardinal Poupard said that the meeting was "a signal that the Holy Father's call for a dialogue between cultures and religion has been widely welcomed". |
| Yahya Pallavicini, vice-president of one of Italy's main Islamic organisations, the Islamic Religious Community, said he hoped the meeting would be "the starting point for a new scenario of inter-faith dialogue with knowledge and truly religious Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders and scholars". | Yahya Pallavicini, vice-president of one of Italy's main Islamic organisations, the Islamic Religious Community, said he hoped the meeting would be "the starting point for a new scenario of inter-faith dialogue with knowledge and truly religious Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders and scholars". |
| As usual, a lot of the response has been completely irrational Ashwini, Singapore Have Your Say | As usual, a lot of the response has been completely irrational Ashwini, Singapore Have Your Say |
| However, he expressed a fear that the Pope's comments demonstrated a "Christian Catholic exclusivism" - a belief that Catholicism was superior to other religions. | However, he expressed a fear that the Pope's comments demonstrated a "Christian Catholic exclusivism" - a belief that Catholicism was superior to other religions. |
| Our correspondent notes that the Pope recalled last week that both Christians and Muslims worship the same God. | Our correspondent notes that the Pope recalled last week that both Christians and Muslims worship the same God. |
| The pontiff said he was "deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg" in Germany. | The pontiff said he was "deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg" in Germany. |
| On Wednesday, he told pilgrims at the Vatican that his remarks in Bavaria last week had been "misunderstood". | On Wednesday, he told pilgrims at the Vatican that his remarks in Bavaria last week had been "misunderstood". |
| He said his use of a quote from a 14th-Century Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Paleologos, did not reflect his personal opinion. | He said his use of a quote from a 14th-Century Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Paleologos, did not reflect his personal opinion. |
| The quote says: "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 quote says: "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 Pope said his real intention had been to "explain that religion and violence do not go together, but religion and reason do". | The Pope said his real intention had been to "explain that religion and violence do not go together, but religion and reason do". |