Finally, Another Perspective on Pope Benedict XVI's Regensburg Address

Unlike the writer, I believe that the Pontiff was sending a message to both 'the West' and Islam. The Pope was telling both parties that Catholics are willing to 'sit down at the table'. He was also establishing the framework under which the dialogue of cultures might take place.

I think that the reason a lot of people fail to understand this is the same failure of imagination that Stalin revealed when he asked: "How many legions does the Pope have?"

People are so used to thinking in ecumenical terms that they sometimes forget that Catholicism is a distinct and vital culture with a single voice: Benedict's.

Even a lot of Catholics tend to forget this but when you consider the numbers we're dealing with...