Holy cow. It takes this much dialogue to try and explain what the pope really meant? Puhleez. If the pope meant it, stand by and don't back down. A lot of the western civilized world pretty much agrees with it. Now if he made a mistake, well, even he can be forgiven and he should state it. Hiding it behind 'academic discourse' is hilarious at best, and incredulous at worse.
Benny, don't crawdad and send out the spokesman with interesting hats to refute, or explain away a truth we too agree. Stick to your guns.
Instead of hiding behind academic discourse, he is using it to draw the enemy into the open. For example, he telling the izzies to their face, and in front of the entire world, that they are afraid of rational examination of their "religion" and that their standard MO is anger and violence.
Islam is d@mned is it does (respond angrily) and d@mned it it doesn't (respond rationally). As chess games go, the Pope has them "checked."