Public comments that spark outrage in the Muslim world are nothing new. But when the comments come from the spiritual leader of more than a billion Roman Catholics, the world sits up and takes notice—as well it should.
Discussing the relationship between faith and reason at the German University of Regensburg on September 12, Pope Benedict XVI quoted a Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Paleologus, who reigned from 1391 to 1425. Benedict quoted the emperor as saying that Muhammad brought to the religion of Islam "things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith that he preached."
Those words have caused violent uproar among many Muslims, leading to attacks on professing Christian churches—both Catholic and non-Catholic— and possibly the murder of an Italian nun in Somalia. Many Islamic nations, including Turkey, have condemned the speech and demanded a personal apology from the pope. While Benedict has addressed the outrage and his role in provoking it, he has not truly apologized for the use of the quote, but rather has expressed regret for the offense that has ensued.
Some have suggested that the pope’s use of the incendiary quote was a political gaffe by an untrained academic, a mistake born out of naiveté. Is this so? Others have wisely remarked that underestimating Benedict is a mistake.
In his September 22 column, Wall Street Journal columnist Daniel Henninger commented on the idea that the pope’s use of the quote was a mistake or accident: "Really? I’d say Benedict is right about where he hoped to be after Regensburg: The whole world saying that a serious conversation between the pope and Islam is necessary."
Similarly, political analyst George Friedman observed: "From an intellectual and political standpoint, therefore, Benedict’s statement was an elegant move. He has strengthened his political base and perhaps legitimized a stronger response to anti- Catholic rhetoric in the Muslim world" (Stratfor Geopolitical Intelligence Report, September 19, 2006).
Already, one major European leader—Romano Prodi, prime minister of Italy—has come under attack from Catholics and conservatives for seeking high-level contacts with the Iranian government, which has blasted the pope (Financial Times, September 20, 2006). As one conservative Italian senator said, "In not defending the pope, Prodi dishonours Italy.… His silence in the face of the violent campaign against the pope is scandalous" (ibid.).
Of Benedict’s many possible reasons for firing such a volley in the rhetorical war of cultures, one can be gleaned from something else he said in his Regensburg speech—using his own words, rather than a quotation: "[T]his convergence [of biblical faith and Greek philosophy], with the subsequent addition of the Roman heritage, created Europe and remains the foundation of what can rightly be called Europe."
With the fears of many Europeans focusing on the great influx of Muslim immigrants into their society, Turkey’s energetic effort to be an Islamic country within the European Union, and the Catholic Church’s publicly stated desire to see Europe unified as a Christian entity, any thought that Benedict’s words were hastily chosen should be reconsidered.
None of this should catch serious Bible students by surprise! On the contrary, the growing conflict between the western and eastern powers was prophesied many centuries ago (cf. Daniel 11:40), as was the rise of a religious power that would unify an end-time revival of the Roman Empire (Revelation 13:11–15).
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The above is adapted from one of the many commentaries, discussing vital topics facing our world, available at the www.lcg.org and www.tomorrowsworld.org Web sites.