Pope Benedict XVI said today he was "deeply sorry" about the angry reaction sparked by his speech about Islam and holy war and said the text did not reflect his personal opinion."These (words) were in fact a quotation from a Medieval text which do not in any way express my personal thought," Benedict told pilgrims at his summer palace outside Rome. He noted that the Vatican secretary of state yesterday had issued a statement trying to explain his words, which Benedict had delivered Tuesday in a speech during a pilgrimage to his native Germany."I hope that this serves 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."Speaking about his pilgrimage last week, he said,"at this time I wish also to add that I am deeply sorry for 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.""While anger over the pope's (Regensburg) remarks is necessary, it shouldn't last long, because while he is the head of the Catholic Church in the world, many Europeans are not following (the church) so what he said won't influence them," Mohammed Mahdi Akef, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, told The Associated Press.In an unusual step, the Vatican's press office released translations into English and French today of the pope's statement. Usually the Sunday remarks, delivered in Italian, are not translated by the Vatican.
