Vatican City: Pope Benedict XVI said on Wednesday that he has 'deep respect' for Islam and expressed hope that remarks he made in Germany last week, which sparked angry reactions in much of the Muslim world, can lead to dialogue among religions.
"I hope that in several occasions during the visit... my deep respect for great religions, in particular for Muslims... has emerged clearly," the Pope said during his weekly audience at the Vatican.
"I trust that after the initial reaction, my words at the university of Regensburg can constitute an impulse and encouragement toward positive, even self-critical dialogue both among religions and between modern reason and Christian faith," the Pope told thousands of faithful in St Peter's Square. Security in the square had been stepped up.
At the university of Regensburg, Benedict cited a Medieval text that characterised some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as 'evil and inhuman', particularly 'his command to spread by the sword the faith'.
Benedict said on Sunday that he was 'deeply sorry' about the reaction to his remarks and that they did not reflect his own opinions.
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