On Tuesday, September 12, Pope Benedict XVI gave a speech about reason, faith, and the need for dialogue between religion and cultures at a meeting of the Representatives of Science at the University of Regensburg in Germany.
According to the Washington Post (the Post), the speech was a �reminder of the precarious, suspicious state of affairs between a West that often views Islam as a faith in need of reform and a Muslim world that feels besieged in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.�
By Andrea Perkins,
Staff Writer
On Tuesday, September 12, Pope Benedict XVI gave a speech about reason, faith, and the need for dialogue between religion and cultures at a meeting of the Representatives of Science at the University of Regensburg in Germany.
According to the Washington Post (the Post), the speech was a �reminder of the precarious, suspicious state of affairs between a West that often views Islam as a faith in need of reform and a Muslim world that feels besieged in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.�
The pope opened his address with a quote from 14th century Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologos. This quote ended up angering the Muslim community to the point where some Muslim officials went as far as comparing the Holy Father to Hitler and Mussolini.
The quote from the Byzantine emperor that the pope used was: �Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.�
The pope, in his speech, had neither explicitly endorsed nor denounced the emperor’s words, but rather used them as a preface to a discussion of faith and reason, wrote the Post. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had said that the pope was trying to emphasize a decisive and uncompromising renunciation of all forms of violence in the name of religion. The pope was trying to give an example as to why we need open dialogue between cultures rather than violence.
Reactions on campus to the pope’s remarks are varied but most people understand that the pope clearly did not mean to offend the Muslim community.
Sr. Lois Sculco, Seton Hill University’s (SHU) vice president for administration and student life, said that she believes that this pope is much more versed with Jewish traditions, but he is committed to Jewish, Christian and Muslim dialogue.
�My sense is that the Holy Father is not being negative about Muslims-he’s probably giving a historical fact,� Sculco said.
Cayla Glover, a junior theology major, agreed that it is a historical fact.
�It’s a quote between two Muslims talking about how devoted Muhammad was to get his point across. It’s not saying anything, but it was a discussion of tactics and his approval of warfare.�
Glover also said that the pope pulled out one quote. �I believe if the pope had given an explanation of the text we could have avoided this. The Muslim community would have understood that we [the Christian community] understood.�
What the pope’s speech was about – creating dialogue – seemed to be lost amidst the frenzy concerning the 14th century quote.
Frank Klapak, communication professor, said, �The Pope was speaking toward a need for dialogue, a communication process, and I think he could have selected a better quote, given the times, and I think perhaps the Muslims are overreacting, given the times and obviously the communication and dialogue has broken down-which was the very thing the Pope was trying to create.� The quote in question appeared to have lodged itself in the way of the true message.
Kayla Davies, a junior, said, �I think there are a million other quotes I could have possibly chosen-that was probably not the best one.�
Klapak agreed, saying, �He could have picked a better quote.�
The context of the speech is also in question. Even though the speech was about interfaith dialogue, a typical listener or reader of the speech may not have gathered this.
Marshall Mattingly, a sophomore, said, �The way he worded it – and if you were to look at the context – it portrayed Muslims badly, and to use it now was a terrible idea.� Mattingly also said that Pope Benedict meant well, but what he said simply did not come out right.
�The statement was used extraordinarily loosely – we couldn’ttell if he wanted to use it in that context, or give it new meaning,� he said.
Sculco also believed that Benedict’s meaning wasn’tmeant to be misconstrued the way it was. �I believe the pope did not mean to make a general statement about Muslims. They responded in light of general profiling. He is for interfaith dialogue and it was taken in a way that wasn’tmeant,� she said.
Aundre L. Gandy, a junior, offered a different outlook. �Oh, it was [the context of the quote] very clear, which is why it was so offensive. It gives the impression to people that the Catholic Church supports antiquated thinking and disillusioned philosophies� said Gandy.
The Post reported that the quote’s offensiveness seemed more pronounced simply because of who said it-the pope represents the stature and authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Gandy said that the quote �is inappropriate because the pope is the face of the Catholic Church, and that comment was clearly his own personal belief or an appropriation of some skewed belief.�
Gandy also added that Islam at its fundamental level is a religion about peace and equality. �Most of the first women to own businesses were made possible by the Muslim culture. Some of the first non-western women to own a business lived during the time of Muhammad,� he said.
As a result of the pope’s use of the quote, many officials in the Muslim world are calling the Pope and Catholicism �ignorant� and that �the pope has dark mentality that comes from the darkness of the middle ages.� He has also been accused that his comment looks like an effort to revive the mentality of the Crusades.
Many of those talked to agreed that the Muslims reaction was understandable. Davies said, �I know that if I was Muslim, I would be upset. I do feel that their response was appropriate. What he said could have obviously been misunderstood.�
Sculco said, �In some ways I can understand it because of the kinds of reactions people have to Muslims because of the various violent acts. They are particularly sensitive toward anything that’s negative toward them.�
Mattingly considered the Muslim response in addition to the confusion in that part of the world at this time.
�I don’tthink they were out of place, especially given the volatile state in the Middle East – the pope directly attacking them, as a spokesperson of the Christian world, and if the Muslims don’tstand up for themselves, who will?� he said.
Others looked at what Christians would do if a Muslim made a comment like Benedict’s about a Christian figure.
Gandy said, �I understand if they had an extreme reaction to what the Pope said because if one of them said something like that about Catholicism, it wouldn’thave just been overlooked.�
Klapak believed this, but also thought that the Muslims might be going too far. �I think it was an overreaction. I can understand the emotion – if Christians were to hear a comment by Muslims about Jesus, we�d hear the same reaction,� he said.
With consideration toward the book that Benedict retrieved his quote from, Glover understands their reaction as well.
�Personally, I believe the Muslims are justified with being upset because he did kind of misuse their documents. He should have at least demonstrated that he had read the text and understood it,� Glover said.
According to the Post, many Muslims wanted him to apologize personally and not by a statement through the Vatican. Wrote the Post: �the Vatican said the pope did not intend the remarks to be offensive to Muslims.�
Benedict did not expressly agree or disagree with his quote and it was not until Sunday, September 17, did he directly apologize for saying it and that what he took from the medieval book did not express his personal belief.
The apology caused mixed reactions among those talked to on campus.
�I don’treally like his apology because it was, �I�m sorry I offended you,� not �that I offended you,�� said Glover.
However, the fact that he tried to make amends is enough for some.
�I think he made an effort to bring Muslims together. He invited them to sit with him and chat. I think both sides need to grow up. If he apologized, that’s enough. I don’tthink they�re fighting over what the pope said,� said Klapak.
Most of the people interviewed agreed that after this point, there is not much that the pope and the Vatican can do to remedy the situation, other than take precautions in the future so that this will not happen again.
Mattingly said, �There’s not much more he can do. All he can do is apologize and not do it again. He can say what he meant to say, and then the Muslims have to forgive.�
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