Ark-La-Tex Priest Reacts to Controversial Papal Speech

Some controversial comments made by Pope Benedict XVI have moved some Muslims around the world to violence. Here is the statement at issue: The Pope was quoting a 14th century emperor when he said, "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." Law authorities in Mogadishu believe that statement led to Sunday`s assassination of a nun and her bodyguard. Two Muslim men have been taken in for questioning. And in the West Bank officials blame the Pope`s comment for several church fires. Witnesses to two of the fires say a group of Palestinians started them. In an effort to do damage control, the Vatican issued this statement: "The Holy Father sincerely regrets that certain passages of his address sounded offensive to the sensitivities of the Muslim faithful, and should have been interpreted in a manner which in no way corresponds to his intentions." KTAL wanted to dig a little deeper into the issue, so we sat down with a Shreveport priest for a little more insight. "This man is used to writing the his own speeches. He wrote this and that is a very dangerous thing to do," said Father Andre McGrath, head priest at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament. McGrath says, some Catholics aren`t completely endorsing the Pope`s comments, or the historical source used to write the controversial speech. "He picked this document, perhaps unfortunately. He should have picked something a little less inflammatory." Father McGrath says, Pope Benedict XVI wasn`t pointing the finger at Islamic Jihad, but simply using a historical document to make a statement about the relationship between religion and war. "He`s just saying in general, this type of warfare and armed conflict is not the way to bring about God`s will in the world," said McGrath. Still Father McGrath says the Pope should have chosen his words more carefully. "What saddens me is that now we see, because of this interpretation- a 60-year-old Italian nun, who gave a life of service to the people in Mogadishu was killed. How can anyone say that`s justified." But for some members of the Muslim community the damage done by the Pope`s comments may be irreparable. "Over the past 20 years the Vatican had built so many bridges between itself, or between the Catholic world and the Muslim world and one lecture has destroyed all of this," said Azzam Tamimi, Institute of Islamic Political Thought. Whether that relationship can ever be rebuilt, still remains to be seen.