Pope's Words Take on Life of Their Own

By Liane Hansen,

Published September 17, 2006 at 7:00 AM CDT

Pope Benedict XVI says he is "deeply sorry" and regrets the reaction to his comments about the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, which continue to inflame the Muslim world.

Islamist leaders demanded an apology after the pontiff quoted a 14th century Christian description of Islam as "evil and inhuman." The comments were made during an academic speech Tuesday at the University of Regensburg.

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Liane Hansen

Liane Hansen has been the host of NPR's award-winning Weekend Edition Sunday for 20 years. She brings to her position an extensive background in broadcast journalism, including work as a radio producer, reporter, and on-air host at both the local and national level. The program has covered such breaking news stories as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the capture of Saddam Hussein, the deaths of Princess Diana and John F. Kennedy, Jr., and the Columbia shuttle tragedy. In 2004, Liane was granted an exclusive interview with former weapons inspector David Kay prior to his report on the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The show also won the James Beard award for best radio program on food for a report on SPAM.

Sylvia Poggioli

Sylvia Poggioli is senior European correspondent for NPR's International Desk covering political, economic, and cultural news in Italy, the Vatican, Western Europe, and the Balkans. Poggioli's on-air reporting and analysis have encompassed the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, the turbulent civil war in the former Yugoslavia, and how immigration has transformed European societies.

See stories by Sylvia Poggioli