If You

Most Christians and Jews know almost nothing about the high priests in the Muslim faith. What Muslims do know about the pope is that his words are special. They probably do not know about the concept of speaking with the College of Cardinals behind him, in which all his power as the pope prevails and what he says becomes irrefutable truth for all Catholics. Hence, lots of what the pope says does have tremendous weight.

So Pope Benedict XVI in one of his early speeches made a misstep that has Muslim leaders livid. The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had developed a reputation as a tough theologian. Here, he showed why: inadvertently, but surely.

In his German speech, Benedict XVI harkened to a 14th century Byzantine emperor - who said the Prophet Muhammad had brought the world only "evil and inhuman" things – and this provoked anger in the Muslim world. Not my words, Benedict insisted. Not my words at all. I was just saying what the emperor said. If you have a problem with what was said, talk to the Byzantine guy. These are not my feelings. I just want Catholics and Muslims to get along. Read the whole sermon.

That method of argument, state an opposing position and then give your own version, works wonderfully with a group of priests or a congregation of Catholics. Most Christians, especially Catholics, know the Aristotelian way of parsing a disagreement; its classic. But apparently it is not old hat to Muslims.

Literally, the pope was talking about the Prophet Muhammad bringing "evil and inhuman" things to men and spreading his faith with a sword. Now, if one is a Muslim, one is – let’s say – insulted. Popes have favored plenty of Christian wars; the Crusades for example. So if the current pope says this, no matter where he got it from, it stands to hurt the every day Muslim.

There are, however, millions of Muslim faithful who see the West – mainly the United States – as an enemy. These people are not merely upset at a slip of the papal tongue. Some want an apology. They don’t want the pope to say he is sorry that Muslims took this all wrong, which has been his version of an apology. What the Muslims want is a sincere apology for bringing up the whole 14th century war business and smearing Prophet Muhammad’s name with slander.

He has not done that. It looks like he won’t.

Too bad, since the Pope’s remarks might lead to a further separation between Christians-and-Jews on the one hand and Muslims on the other. Greater separation is exactly the thing Benedict thought he was avoiding. Instead, he made it worse. Gee, guys, I’m really sorry I picked this way of trying to squelch all this smoldering world hatred.

That might work.

Then, however, he would be admitting a flaw. Now a flaw might not seem so bad if you are living under the Muslim order of things; but here in Catholicism it’s very different. The pope is all-wise and knows God and therefore can’t really admit that he, himself, flubbed the facts. No, the pope – apparently – cannot simply apologize.

But wait, maybe the world could say Benedict was misinterpreted. Yeah, that’s it, misinterpreted. Much cleaner than a messy apology, everybody just got it all wrong.

Well, that looks kind of weak.

Benedict spoke in Germany, there was no mistaking what he was saying. He speaks 10 languages fluently. But German is his native tongue. There was no doubt about his audience. They were German Catholics. He knew them extraordinarily well. No mistake seemed possible. No, this was a good speaker before an ideal audience.

He is not a weak orator. Why, he taught in college and was very good, except he was unhappy so many Marxists were there. Then there was his youth. Why, one only has to see that in his youth the pope joined the Hitler Youth, fought in the German air force and later deserted the German military to see how rough a life he’s had. Maybe that explains his failure to apologize today. Too much trauma?

Now look here, his defenders would say, this past history stuff can’t be used in this sort of argument. He had to join the Hitler Youth. Everybody did. So don’t go around looking for examples like being in the Hitler Youth to justify what Benedict said about Prophet Muhammad’s spreading the faith with his sword. Why that would be saying something as foolish as that Benedict is unable to apologize because he suffers from his one-time leader’s insatiable blood lust and a taste for worldwide power.

See how muddied the waters get here when one mixes the past with the present.

October 3, 2006