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September 17, 2006
Putting Out Fire With Gasoline
These "apologies" crack me up, almost.
"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 told pilgrims at his summer palace outside Rome.
So he's sorry about their reaction? Brilliant. Just what the world needs right now.
Posted by zeynep at September 17, 2006 03:33 PM
Comments
That's the kind of apology my mother used to say.
We don't have a good relationship.
Posted by: Susan at September 19, 2006 11:44 AM
The man could have found pretty nice example of religious violence in his own history instead, but of course Ratzinger has always been a firm supporter of any form of interfaith misunderstanding. Yesterday, Jose Tamayo listed a good number of Ratzinger's works and deeds aimed directly at sinking such forms of religious dialog, plus some statements about salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church.
The whole issue (and his insistence in being sorry for reactions, which he remarked yesterday) a smart move towards gaining some support from the Bush administration, which seems to have not been in very good terms since the late Pope condemned war in Iraq. Even if the Pope was not intelligent enough to foresee reactions to his quote, he's got a wonderful team behind his office.
Besides, when someone quotes is either for refusing immediately the quote, or just to support his ideas. Joseph Ratzinger did not refuse the quote. Now call him a man of dialog.
Posted by: Juan at September 21, 2006 07:27 AM
Now if he had promised to fast during Ramadan :-)
Posted by: Paul Lyon at September 21, 2006 08:37 PM