Benedict blunder shows he has failed to master media machine

breitbart.com ^ | Sep 15 10:45 AM US/Eastern | Staff

[Nachum]

By unwittingly angering Muslims with his comments on Islam, Pope Benedict XVI has shown that he has yet to shake off his academic theological roots and master the global media machine with the same deftness as his predecessor.

In clinging to theology and orthodoxy, the bookish Benedict has shown little regard for media management in getting his message across, unlike the communications-savvy John Paul II.

Benedict railed Muslims when he quoted a 14th-century Christian emperor who said the Prophet Mohammed had brought the world only "evil and inhuman" things, portraying the Islam he founded as a religion which endorses violence, where faith is "spread by the sword".

Not for the first time in the 17-month-old pontificate, the Vatican has been forced to backtrack with a statement aimed at smoothing ruffled diplomatic feathers.

Benedict seeks to "cultivate an attitude of respect and dialogue toward other religions and cultures and obviously also toward Islam," the Vatican said.

Earlier this year, the German-born head of the Roman Catholic Church fell foul of Israel when he omitted to mention the Jewish State in the list of countries which were victims of terrorism.

In May, during a visit to the former Nazi death camp at Auschwitz in Poland, he appeared to absolve the German people from any responsibility for Nazism, saying the country had itself fallen victim to a "band of criminals" in the 1930s.

The gaffes are all the more surprising because his first year as pope had been a smooth transition from the era of John Paul II, with none of the hardline decisions many had expected from the former cardinal who earned the epithet "God's Rottweiler" for cracking down on Church dissidents.

Whereas John Paul, elected pope at the age of 58, had decades to perfect his role as Christianity's "great communicator", his timid 79-year-old successor has had little time to shed his image as a dour defender of the faith, honed by 24 years as the Vatican's doctrinal enforcer.

Despite this, he has seemed increasingly more at ease in his public appearances, never more so than during his visit this week to his Bavarian homeland, where the pope seemed almost jolly at times to be among his own people.

But at times he seems a prisoner of his former role as prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, and his years as a theology professor at Regensburg University, his message often clouded by high-flown doctrinal language.

Benedict had highlighted closer ties between Christians and Muslims, and Christians and Jews as priorities of his pontificate within days of his election in April last year.

He met both Muslim and Jewish leaders in Cologne a few months later, during his first foreign visit as leader of the world's more than one billion Roman Catholics.

In a few hours at Regensburg University on Tuesday night, he undid much of the groundwork done in Cologne a year before, and must now use his late-November visit to Turkey and its 70-million Muslim population as a major bridge-building exercise.

Given the diplomatic battle ahead to placate the Muslim world, the pope may wish to still have at his side Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, the Vatican's top expert on Islam until Benedict controversially transferred him as papal nuncio to Cairo.

Many Vatican watchers at the time believed it was a blunder to move the respected British archbishop at a time when relations with Islam had assumed such a high profile.

He also has yet to rebuild ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, which has accused Rome of proselytism in traditionally-Orthodox areas of eastern Europe.

Benedict was born in the Bavarian town of Marktl am Inn on April 16, 1927.

He has acknowledged that he was enrolled into the Hitler Youth during World War II, but much against his will. And he has been widely praised by Jewish organisations for his stand against anti-Semitism.

He was ordained priest in 1951, spent much of his early career as a theology professor and became archbishop of Munich in March 1977, later moving to the Vatican.

His housekeeper, Ingrid Stampa, has described him as a modest man of simple tastes. He rarely drinks wine as it gives him a headache, likes Italian cuisine but prefers German food, such as dumplings and apfelstrudel (apple pie).

He has shown an unexpected fondness for high fashion, wearing Prada shoes and Gucci sunglasses, and he has taken to wearing traditional hats not worn by popes for decades.

He is said to speak 10 languages, although the Italian press has commented on his German accent, and is an accomplished pianist.

Benedict's brother Georg, also a priest but three years his elder, has said that "health-wise he is not very robust. His heart is not very good." He has continued to express such worries since his election.

[foghornleghorn]

Who said it was a "blunder"? Maybe the rest of us should speak up as well.

Well said. Islam has been the enemy of Christendom for 1400 years. It began as a military operation. The West finally beat it back in the 8th century in the middle of France, then at Belgrade, Lepanto, Vienna; and earlier Constantinople survived several sieges before falling in the 15th century. Pray tell, exactly what good and positive thing did it introduce to the world?

[BlessedBeGod]

What blunder? What he said was right on the mark!

[Nachum]

Can ANYONE find a single gift from islam to the world?

I can! You see Islam gave the world...

ah..

Um

hmmmmm...

I'll get back to you on that.

[Enchante]

"...he quoted a 14th-century Christian emperor who said the Prophet Mohammed had brought the world only "evil and inhuman" things, portraying the Islam he founded as a religion which endorses violence, where faith is "spread by the sword"."

Blunder? Sounds like accurate information to me.... anyway, anything that speaks the truth about Islam gets the fanatics all hot and bothered.....

[SuziQ]

By unwittingly angering Muslims with his comments on Islam, Pope Benedict XVI has shown that he has yet to shake off his academic theological roots and master the global media machine with the same deftness as his predecessor.

I don't believe the Pope blundered at all, and if the Muslims are mad about it, it just means they understand the threat he poses to them. They have had a cushy time of it in the media up to this point; no one wanted to say anything bad for fear of reprisals. The Pope doesn't care about reprisals. He knows the Truth, and speaks it, as he should.

[silentknight]

They will kill the pope.

[TYVets]

More "world leaders" should speak up against these Muslim animals..... Instead the world cowers!

There are too many Chamberlain type "world leaders" around today.

The Pope speaks of dialog and the Muzzies go Arab Street.

Anti Pope barf tag needed.

[stripes1776]

In a few hours at Regensburg University on Tuesday night, he undid much of the groundwork done in Cologne a year before, and must now use his late-November visit to Turkey and its 70-million Muslim population as a major bridge-building exercise.

There is no reason to build a bridge to evil.

[California Patriot]

"Failed to master the media machine."

Or maybe the Pope just ignored the media machine and spoke the truth.

Or maybe he was looking for a real debate and some real thinking by so-called Christians, which even a very hostile media reaction might help to provoke.

Benedict is not a politician. He is a leader. The two approach the media quite differently. I would bet heavily that he knew, and knows, what he is doing.

[LiteKeeper]

Speaking the truth is not a blunder!

[TYVets]

Benedict is not a politician. He is a leader. The two approach the media quite differently.

Amen!

Heck, I forgot to watch Katie C again for the 10th straight evening.

[olezip]

It appears that one cannot have an intellectual conversation with the muslim community. Intelligent discourse could lead to needed reform of Islam.

The religion of Islam has had no equivalent to the 21 Ecumenical Councils held by the Catholic Church. Islam is thus stuck in the 7th Century and full of contradictions and inconsistencies in its holy literature.

[wtc911]

speaking the truth is never a blunder.

----------------------------------------------

Honey, do I look fat in this dress?

[TYVets]

LOL

That is unfair!

BTW, has your wife stopped beating you?

[wtc911]

I lied like a rug...

[California Patriot]

She certainly looks good, but that's not what newscasts are for.

[backhoe]

This just in:

" When is the world going to wake up to this?
They are always demanding, threatening, killing, blaming their killing on someone else, they are always insulted (yet they insult the whole world), they act like Nazi's but call everyone else Nazi's. Enough I say."

The 14th worldwide meltdown of Muslims caused by Pope

This Just In: Muslims Furious

 "To say that Islam is intolerant cannot be tolerated!"

Muslims in uproar over pope’s remarks on Islam.
Muslims deplore Pope speech, want apology.
Muslims express fury over pope’s remarks.
Turkish lawmaker compares pope to Hitler.
Muslims assail pope’s remarks on Islam.
Pakistan parliament demands Pope retract Islam comments.
Pope branded a medieval crusader in India.
Muslims demand pope apologise for Islam comments.

09:23 AM PDT | link: 300 comments

" Gee, that's surprising."

Muslims express fury over pope's remarks

This AP image is making the rounds.

"How dare you say Muhammad spread his faith by the sword?"

What is the over/under for increased rage after Friday sermons?

Posted by Anne at 11:36 AM | Comments (117)

Islam On Benedict

BBC;

The head of the Muslim Brotherhood said the Pope's remarks "aroused the anger of the whole Islamic world".

Muslims reacting in anger. How can that be ???

Fox News quotes Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam ;

"Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence".

h/t Polly in the comments

Posted by Kate at 09:31 AM | Comments (52)  "The facts are what they are: Islam has become a violent religion. When atrocities are committed around the world in the name of Allah, condemnation never seems to come from those in the peaceful religion. The silence is deafening when, for instance, a suicide bomber blows up innocent women and children in Israel."

 

I support the Pope

By Michelle Malkin   ·   September 15, 2006 03:52 PM

[TYVets]

I lied like a rug...

Your mom didn't raise a stupid son.

[Kirkwood]

I don't think it is a blunder at all. It is more of a little trap to make a point and the muslims took it hook, line, and sinker. The pope quotes what a long dead emperor said about muslims and violence and just as expected the muslims go off on a violent rampage. The muslims are their own worst enemy. Everyone else is trying to give them a break and a chance to reform by pointing out that their concept of a religion based on violence and hatred can no longer be tolerated.

[wolf78]

Given that fact that Cardinal Ratzinger pretty much won the papacy with his campaign speech / homily to his predecessor, I highly doubt that he wasn't aware what he's doing, especially post-Jyllands Posten.

And while I have to admit that JPII was a communications genius, his willingness to kiss everyone and everything, including the Qur'an, doesn't necessarily make him right.