[Lin:] They were strong words back in the 14th century. And when Pope Benedict XVI quoted them this week, they sparked outrage all over again. Speaking in Germany, the pope quoted a Byzantine emperor who called Muslim teachings evil and inhumane. Well, the pontiff did not say he agrees with the statements, but he didn't repudiate it either. Angry Muslims are demanding an apology. So, let's bring in CNN's faith and correspondent Delia Gallagher. Delia, what was he thinking?
[Delia Gallagher, Cnn Faith And Values Correspondent:] Well, you know, I think, Carol, that the pope was making these statements in a larger context of a kind of intellectual inquiry at a university about faith and reason, which is one of his favorite sort of topics. And he was talking about Christianity, as well as Islam, in fact, predominantly about Christianity. But he did talk about Islam. And he took it upon 14th century text, as you said, a conversation between an emperor and a Persian scholar. Let's take a look at what the pope said.
[Pope Benedict Xvi:] He said and I quote "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhumane, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
[Gallagher:] So, you can see there, Carol, that the pope is quoting this 14th century book. And this is what has caused the problems, because there are many Muslims who are saying that it was inappropriate, even, to really raise this kind of a text, which doesn't represent fully the thinking throughout the centuries, or the thinking of other Muslims. But the fact of the matter for the pope is, he thinks that this is a kind of intellectual inquiry. He says: Well, I'm looking into this, and I'm trying to understand, both from a Christian point of view and an Islamic point of view, what is our view of God? What is our understanding of God?
[Lin:] Well, Delia, he is supposed to visit Turkey, which is a predominantly Muslim country, in November. And there was a statement by the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate, which reads, "It certainly wasn't the intention of the Holy Father to carry out an in- depth study of jihad, holy war." I'm sorry. Excuse me. That was the Vatican statement. Let me read it off the screen here: "The remarks reflect the hatred in his heart. I do not think any good will come from the visit to the Muslim world of a person who has such ideas about Islam's prophet" a disinvitation, you might say, Delia.
[Gallagher:] Well, certainly, now, this is going to be a concern for the Vatican, because they are going to have to figure out how to really deal with a pope who is is very much a kind of intellectual, professorial type, who might not be aware of the emotional impact of some of the things that he says. And, in fact, they have released a statement, in which they try to quell a little bit of the flames that are being fanned. So, let's see what they say. They say: "It was certainly not the intention" as you were reading earlier "of the Holy Father to carry out an in- depth study of the jihad and Muslim thinking in this field, still less so to offend the sensitivity of the Muslim faith of the Muslim faithful." So I think, you know, you see there an attempt to sort of say, look, he wasn't even trying to intellectually figure out the entire thing of Islam. I think, really, it was about saying, both to Islamic scholars and to Christian scholars...
[Lin:] Yes.
[Gallagher:] ... let's understand the role of reason in faith. So, it's a much more complex sort of inquiry that the pope is undertaking. But, of course, they have a right to say, well, why, in this climate, would you use words like jihad?
[Lin:] Right.
[Gallagher:] Or why, in this climate, would you bring back a 14th century text? And that is really the argument that is going on now.
[Lin:] Hmm. Delia, good to have you. Thank you.
[Gallagher:] Thank you.
[Lin:] Well, a milestone for the Jewish faith, a milestone for a nation still healing from its atrocious history three newly ordained rabbis confirmed this week in the former East Germany. They're the first graduates of a private Jewish college in Dresden and the first to be ordained as rabbis in Germany since the time of Adolf Hitler. About 500,000 Jews lived in Germany before the Nazis rose to power. And only a fraction of that number are there today. Well, coming up, we are standing by for a news conference in Wisconsin on the outbreak of E. coli we have been following here in the NEWSROOM today. So, we're going to go to that event live when it begins. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.