The pope said he hoped his remarks and the Vatican's explanation Saturday were enough to "appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect." (Vatican statement)

The remarks came last Tuesday, when the pope spoke to professors in Germany and quoted 14th-century Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus.

"Show me just what Mohammed 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," Benedict quoted. (Full story)

The reaction?

Reaction from Muslims around the world was strong and swift, prompting Italian police to raise the alert level around the Vatican and Castel Gandolfo, a police spokesman said. (Watch Muslims around the world react with anger and disappointment -- 1:54) http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/09/17/pope.islam/

It is my opinion that If this kind of stuff continues there's gonna be a clash of cultures that may result in some serious issues.

Why you might ask. It appears that Pope Benedict XVI believes that unlike other religions, Islam cannot be reformed and, therefore, is incompatible with democracy. The pope, according to Fessio, believes Islam cannot become compatible with democracy because a radical reinterpretation of the religion would be required, which is "impossible, because it's against the very nature of the Quran, as it's understood by Muslims." http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:U...&client=safari

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