[ELS]

Yeah, but the Pope is not looking out for just himself. He is concerned about the Christians (primarily the Catholics, but all who are subjected to unjust violence) in majority Muslim areas or Muslim nations. Already there have been two churches (non-Catholic, BTW, which shows how irrational the Muslimms are - quite making the Pope's point) in the Gaza Strip that have been attacked.

So, he apologized for their misunderstanding, but not for what he said. He did not intend to offend Muslims and had the MSM not taken his words out of context and emphasized them, then there probably would not have any reaction at all. How I despise the MSM.

[ELS]

Oops. It was in the West Bank, not the Gaza Strip. Mea culpa.

[uncbob]

He did not intend to offend Muslims and had the MSM not taken his words out of context and emphasized them, then there probably would not have any reaction at all. How I despise the MSM.

Doesn't matter

Mussies know he backed down . They are therefore encouraged to get up their crap

[rodguy911]

As the main protectorate of the Catholic Church my guess is that the Pope has noticed that some areas of the world, already mentioned in this thread, have been witnessing the freezing out of catholic and protestant worshipers for that matter in favor of MUslims. Often times simple using the same church and converting it to a mosque, which many times wind up being anything but churches.

This has to at least annoyed the pope if not really made him feel that as the leader of all cathlolics it is his duty to speak out. He did. But any apology or attempt at clarification is a mistake considering who he is dealing with.