Time of intence suffering
I think Jimmy Akin's analysis of the Pope's original speech and subsequent clarification is spot on, especially his ending note.
This is an intense time of suffering for him and for all those Christians who are at risk of Muslim violence.
Let us therefore unite ourselves with the Holy Father in prayer for peace.
Sandro Magister, as always, is quite worth reading in his article Islam’s Unreasonable War Against Benedict XVI.
Via Roman Catholic Blog is this reminder that not all Muslims have a knee-jerk reaction to media coverage.
Damascus Sept. 15 (BNA) Syria's Grand Mufti Dr Ahmed Bader Al Deen Hasoon sent a letter today to Pope Benedict XVI demanding a clarification on what has been reported by international news agencies on his statements against Islam.
Mufti Hasoon said he hoped that the reports were inaccurate and that the Vatican would be a source of world peace in the same way that Islam is a source of affection and goodness. He said he was looking forward to joining efforts to spread heavenly teachings that call for harmony and cooperation. The letter was delivered through the Vatican Embassy in Damascus.
Though you would think somebody could have googled the original speech for him or the subsequent clarification.
The Detroit Free Press does an article on responses by several people who never even read the Pope's original speech and some didn't even know about the reaction.
Parishioners at a few local Catholic churches said they were unfamiliar with the controversy.
The Rev. Timothy Pelc of St. Ambrose in Grosse Pointe Park said he had heard secondhand about the pope's remarks.
This summer, his parish conducted a series on Islam in its adult education classes and book clubs. Pelc said his parishioners "really didn't know a lot about Islam. ... We made a deliberate choice to learn."
"It's sad, because so much of what we see of violence has been done in the name of religion," Pelc added. "It's a scary time."
Joy Ford, a member of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Detroit, called the pope's reading of the text "ill-advised" and said it likely misrepresented what the Catholic Church, as a whole, believes about Islam.
"Whether it's part of a text or not, you have to be really careful what public statements you put out there in today's climate," said Ford, 37, of Detroit.
You could hope that a parish doing adult education on Islam had already thoroughly catechized its members on the Catholic Church. Like I said you could hope, but I wouldn't lay money on it. A Muslim lady goes on to prove that it does not matter what the Pope has said or will say in reaction to his comments.
Some people said Sunday that the pope should apologize for what he said, not just for the way people have reacted to it. But Baydoun said she wouldn't believe such an apology.
"We're all going to know it's not coming from his heart. It's not going to be sincere."
Known as 
Islam is a source of affection and goodness ?????? May not be a knee-jerk reaction but it's equally incorrect.
Ahem...St. Ambrose...properly catechized Catholics...mmmmggrrrhh.
Not so much.
I am drafting (a waste of time: they have a collective lump of feces for brains) a response for the Pope to send to the grandiose mufti of damnationscus. File under "Speaking Truth to Pagans."
Dear Benighted Heathen:
Islam is the highly concentrated essence of all conceivable evil. Its benighted adherents practice cruelty, cold-blooded murder, blasphemy, and defiance of God's Law. Islam is a system of organized brigandage, led by gangsters called ameers and imams, and is meant to establish tyrannical authority over the earth.
Mohammedanism is hate speech against Christians and all others who refuse to believe the mass brigandage and tyranny it espouses.
Jesus Christ, True God and True man, redeemed the world by His Holy Cross. He is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come in glory to judge the living and the dead. After Christ there is no prophet or savior.
Mohammedanism claims a false prophet and foments a horrid insult to Our Savior. No Christian may condone this hate-filled gang of evil blasphemers and mass murderers. The latter day Arians viciously elevate Muhammad to an exalted position above Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. No Christian can abide the expansion of this hateful sect.
Sincerely,
BXVI
PS: If I had two armored divisions, I'd end your filthy paganism forever.
The Holy Father appears to do everything deliberately, after a great amount of reading, thought and prayer. He is very familiar with the true nature of Islam and the power of the media. He knows exactly what he's doing. We just haven't figured it all out yet. Let's see what unfolds.
Umm, the Syrian grandmufti Googling out the speech? Now that's a picture. I've only been able to find it in its entirety on the Vatican site and other Catholic websites. Mr. Grandmufti would find it necessary to burn his computer after visiting such sites.
There will never be an agreement between Islam and Christianity.
Most of the conflicts that Islamic governments and sects are involved with these days have their origins in events that are over 1,000 years old?
That in a nutshell is why Islam has stagnated in terms of literature, art, science, medicine and technology to the times of Haroun al Raschid and Charlemagne.
The were invigorated a bit by the blood from the Mongol and Tatar invasions coming out of the heart of Asia between 1200 and 1600 or so and who found Islam to their liking, but they, too, learned to love their grudges and nothing positive has happened in an Islamic country since then.
Other than the discovery of oil.