Vatican City – Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday expressed deep respect for Islam and emphasized the belief in one God that unites Muslims and Christians – his latest attempt to defuse the crisis swirling around his recent comments on Islam.
At a weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, before thousands of pilgrims and amid tight security, Benedict went further than he has to date, not only reiterating his regret for the fury that his comments provoked but also pronouncing his high regard for the faith that those words seemed to attack.
“I hope that my profound respect for the great religions and, in particular, for Muslims … has become clear,” the pope said. It is Muslims, he said, “who worship the one God and with whom we promote peace, liberty, social justice and moral values for the benefit of all humanity.”
Authorities stepped up security at St. Peter’s Square, following shadowy threats on the pope’s life posted on extremist websites.
Uniformed paramilitary police screened pilgrims with metal detectors, while plainclothes agents mingled with the crowd.
Despite the increased alert, the pope, dressed in white vestments, toured the piazza, standing in the back of an open vehicle and waving at the crowd.
In Washington, U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo wrote the pope on Wednesday, asking him to resist calls to apologize.
“It is not surprising that your statements prompted such a visceral reaction in much of the Islamic world, where the free exercise of religion is largely proscribed,” Tancredo, R-Colo., wrote. “Whether we want to admit it or not, the Western world is locked in a struggle against radical Islam whose practitioners and adherents are inextricably linked to terrorism.”
Tancredo, who was raised a Roman Catholic, now attends Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch when he’s not in Washington.
It was the pope’s citation of a medieval Byzantine emperor who disdained Islam and its founder, Muhammad, that ignited furor in parts of the Muslim world.
