No official comment from the delegates of the Catholic Church in Turkey about the controversy aroused in several Islamic communities by Benedict XVI’s words about Muhammad that he said in Regensburg on September 12th. The apostolic nuncio to Turkey, the Islamic country where the Pontiff will go on his next journey, mgr. Antonio Lucibello, refers to the statement made by the director of the newsroom, father Lombardi: “There’s nothing else to be added stats the nuncio to SIR and no comments on the statement made by the Head of the Turkish Department of Religious Affairs, Ali Bayakoglu”, who had criticised the Pope’s speech. About the risk of cancelling the Pope’s next journey to Turkey, the nuncio says “these are just speculations”. The president of the Turkish Bishops Conference, mgr. Ruggero Franceschini, invites the Islamic congregation to “carefully reread the Pope’s speech, which clearly expresses a total condemnation of any violence based on religious grounds. A subject that strengthens the positions of a moderate Islam like the Turkish one”. “Benedict XVI’s next journey to Turkey said the president of the Turkish Bishops to SIR will help strengthen inter-religious dialogue”.
