Papal apologies
His Holiness Benedict XVI has not apologised for clearly demonising Islam through sleight of proxy (Manuel II Paleologus).
Rather, he has further demonised Islam through sleight of sorrow (Dichiarazione Dell’em.Mo Card. Tarcisio Bertone, Segretario di Stato , September 16, 2006), evidence his backhanded "regret" for the "sensitivities" of those demonised.
Otherwise, the Holy See, if truly contrite, could simply and clearly reject those passages His Holiness found so "forceful" and "interesting" from the "erudite" byzantine utterings of Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus, including:
Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.
Moreover, in lieu of "sincere regret that certain passages of his address could have sounded offensive to the sensitivities of the Muslim faithful," perhaps His Holiness could sincerely beg forgiveness from all of humanity, past or present, for centuries of systemic sectarian violence, persecution, genocide waged on peoples over continents far and wide under the express approval if not mandate of the Roman Catholic Church.
Else, one could credibly surmise were His Eminence to shove someone into the path of a oncoming bus, to the victim's family he would say, "I am sorry you are angry" while silently dissembling, "Do not blame me, blame the bus. I am not nor ever really at fault."
