Vatican: Pope 'regrets' comment
2006-09-16 16:52
Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI "sincerely regrets" that Muslims were offended by some of his words in a recent speech in Germany, said the Vatican in a statement on Saturday.
The statement comes amid demands for apologies for the Pope's comments from much of the Islamic world.
Some violence has also been reported.
The new Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said the pope's position on Islam was unmistakably in line with Vatican teaching that said the church "regards with esteem also the Muslims, they adore the one God".
- AP