Pope Regrets Remarks Offended Muslims

Pope Benedict XVI said Saturday he regretted his remarks about Islam offended Muslims.

In a statement read by a senior Vatican official, the pope said he respected Islam and hoped Muslims would understand the true sense of his words, the BBC reported.

During a speech in Germany Tuesday, Benedict cited a medieval text that described parts of Islam in the 14th century as evil and inhuman. The pope did not say he agreed with the text.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the pope’s remarks were taken out of context.

Germany’s Bild newspaper quoted her Saturday as saying the pontiff had been calling for inter-religious dialogue and made the remarks in a statement that renounced all forms of violence in the name of religion.

Two West Bank churches were firebombed Saturday in response to the pope’s remarks.

A group calling itself the Lions of Monotheism claimed responsibility for attacks on an Anglican and a Greek Orthodox church in Nablus.