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9/17/06

Sunday Times Online: Pope 'must apologise in person' - "and he does" - by Mark Tighe


For the complete report in the Sunday Times Online click on this link

Pope 'must apologise in person'- "and he does"-by Mark Tighe

The Pope yesterday tried to mollify Muslim anger over his midweek speech on Islam, but early reaction suggested it might not be enough. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s top official, yesterday read out a statement on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI that stopped short of the full apology demanded by many Muslim leaders. Some of them later insisted he apologise in person. The cardinal said the Pope was “very sorry that some passages of his speech may have sounded offensive to the sensibilities of Muslim believers”. The Pope said he respected Islam and hoped Muslims would understand the true sense of his words.

But there are now serious concerns about the pontiff’s security and his planned visit to Turkey in November is in doubt. A high-ranking church source said yesterday: “While I think the controversy will go away, it has done damage, and if I were a security expert, I’d be worried.”

Pope Benedict XVI said he was "deeply sorry" during his Sunday blessing of the crowds, for outrage triggered across the Muslim world by remarks he made about Islam and stressed they had not reflected his personal opinion.

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