Many people have sent me reports on the Pope’s words. Some have bewailed his apparent lapse into dhimmitude. I tend to think that his reluctance here to “apply generic labels” is actually a sign of just the opposite: after all, this is a man who chooses his words very carefully. From WND, with thanks to all who sent this in:
Pope Benedict XVI yesterday refused to declare Islam “a religion of peace.”
Asked by reporters whether Islam could be considered a religion of peace shortly before entering a meeting with priests and deacons of Valle d’Aosta in northwest Italy where he is spending a brief holiday, the pontiff refused to reply positively.
“I would not like to use big words to apply generic labels,” he replied. “It certainly contains elements that can favor peace, it also has other elements: We must always seek the best elements.”