Pope Benedict Inciting a New Crusade?

The Inquisition Pope, known since taking the job for his leadership in supporting evolution, now makes a unforgivable mistake of judgment in communicating his point to those listening. HIs comments have been characterized as intolerant, bigotted, sounding like Hitler and Mussilini. An Iranian Shia scholar correctly finds his statements more similar to Zionists than to the Christian bible.
Despite what it looks like, I don't believe Benedict intended to start a new Crusade! But he certainly has added fever to the situation. I can imagine the Christian Right wingnuts are salivating as they sharpen their "terrible swift swords."
Guardian Unlimited

The pope quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th-century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and a Persian scholar on the truths of Christianity and Islam. ``The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war,'' Benedict said. ``He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Muhammad 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.''' The pope did not explicitly agree with nor repudiate the comment.

Unbelievably, the Vatican has not corrected the impression yet. A weak statement that he meant no offense is hardly sufficient.

Notably, the strongest denunciations came from Turkey - a moderate democracy seeking European Union membership where Benedict is scheduled to visit in November as his first trip as pope to a Muslim country.
Salih Kapusuz, deputy leader of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted party, said Benedict's remarks were either ``the result of pitiful ignorance'' about Islam and its prophet or, worse, a deliberate distortion. ``He has a dark mentality that comes from the darkness of the Middle Ages. He is a poor thing that has not benefited from the spirit of reform in the Christian world,'' Kapusuz told Turkish state media. ``It looks like an effort to revive the mentality of the Crusades.'' ``Benedict, the author of such unfortunate and insolent remarks, is going down in history for his words,'' Kapusuz added. ``He is going down in history in the same category as leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini.''


Even Turkey's staunchly pro-secular opposition party demanded the pope apologize before his visit. Another party led a demonstration outside Ankara's largest mosque, and a group of about 50 people placed a black wreath outside the Vatican's diplomatic mission.

So much for the "papal infallibility" principle of the Vatican. The danger here is concern that admitting his mistake may be seen as a grave political risk that would doom the perception that the pope is infallibility. It does not appear infallibility is applicable here.
Wikipedia

In Roman Catholic theology, Papal infallibility is the dogma that the Pope is preserved from error when he solemnly promulgates, or declares, to the Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals. This doctrine was defined dogmatically in the First Vatican Council of 1870. In Catholic theology, papal infallibility is one of the channels of the Infallibility of the Church. Papal infallibility does not signify that the Pope is impeccable, i.e., that he is specially exempt from liability to sin.

The pope has a responsibility to further tolerance and understanding. Clearly his words did not represent his intent. Such careless words have started wars thousands of times in human history. The man who supposedly represents the "Prince of Peace" needs to act quickly to eat his words. Politics bedamned! We need a big unequivocal papal apology! Now!