Vatican begins diplomatic offensive to appease Muslims

ROME: The Vatican has begun a diplomatic offensive to explain to Mulsim countries Pope Benedict XVI's position on Islam following outrage over his remarks linking the religion with violence, Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone was quoted as saying on Monday.     

Bertone told the Corriere della Sera that Vatican ambassadors had been asked to explain to political and religious authorities in Muslim countries the full text of the Pope's speech.       

He said the ambassadors, or papal nuncios, would highlight passages of the lengthy speech which had been ignored in the furore.    

The Pope on Sunday said he was "deeply sorry" for the outrage triggered by his speech at a German university on Tuesday and stressed that the passages he quoted did not express his personal opinion.     

Benedict said he meant his address as "an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect".       

Bertone said the pope's words in Germany had been "heavily manipulated" and their true meaning distorted.         

The scale and intensity of the Muslim reaction had cast doubts on the Pope's next scheduled foreign trip in November to Muslim-majority Turkey.             

Bertone, who took office as the Vatican's number two official only last week, said the first meeting of the Turkish bishops' conference to organise the visit would take place on Tuesday.       

"Up to now, there has been no reason for it not to go ahead," he said of the visit.