To be honest, this is quite “old news.” Firstly, it should be noted that many Catholics were dismayed by Pope John Paul’s actions. It was evidently a gesture meant to recognize Islam’s monotheism, but I would have to agree with those that say that kissing the Quran was in poor judgement and provided easy fodder for anti-Catholic Christians and anti-Christian Muslims alike. The pope is a human being and made a very human error in judgement, IMHO.
But I have to correct a glaring error in the analysis of this action. The author asks “Did the Pope, who in fact is the supposed ‘infallible’ voice of the Roman Catholic Church not remember what The Koran has to say about Jesus and the nature of God?” The doctrine of papal infallibility has absolutely nothing to do with the Holy Father’s actions in this incident. The author insinuates that the pope could not really be infallible AND have kissed the Quran. In fact, the infallibility of the successor of Peter (i.e. the pope) is excercised in very narrow circumstances, and only when speaking “ex cathedra” (”from the chair [of Peter]”) in making official pronouncements of faith and morals.
In other words, this incident has absolutely no bearing on the truth or untruth of papal infallibility.
The doctrine of papal infallibility is an untruth. Only God is infallible. As for John Paul II’s kissing of the Koran, it was poor judgment. Since he made an error, he couldn’t be infallible. To say that he was is to put Him on the same level as God. That would be blasphemy.