Pope Benedict XVI yesterday regretted that a speech in which he referred to Islam had offended Muslims.

A statement read by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said the Pope sincerely regretted that certain passages of his address, which he gave on Tuesday at a German university, could have sounded offensive to the sensitivities of the Muslim faithful.

The Pope came under severe criticism from Muslims for his comments. During the course of a lecture, he quoted 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus saying: "Show me just what Muhammad 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."

But Cardinal Bertone said the Pope did not mean, nor does he mean, to make that opinion his own in any way".

When contacted, Bishop Nikol Cauchi said he feared that some of Pope's words had been taken out of context and misinterpreted.

"I'm convinced that His Holiness did not mean to offend anyone - least of all people who belong to other religions - when he is involved to such an extent in inter-religious dialogue.

"The speech was made during an academic forum and the members of the audience were intellectuals. It would be interesting to know what they made of the comments in the context of the whole speech."

However, Mgr Cauchi said that certain points ought to be clear to everyone; in particular that violence is to be deplored from whatever source it comes.

He also stressed that in the final analysis the words at which Muslims took offence were not the words of the Pope but those of a 14th century Christian emperor.

"And those words should be related to the context in which the emperor said them - and how things were in those days," he said.

However, the head of the Muslim community in Malta, Imam Muhammad el Sadi, said such comments from the Pope, whom the Islamic community highly respected, were regrettable and unexpected.

The comments, he said, unintentionally offended and provoked the religious feelings of more than one billion Muslims all over the world during a time of high tension when the world was in dire need of mutual respect, tolerance and peace.

"Certainly, such unfortunate and controversial opinions will not help the promotion of dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence among the followers of different faiths, rather, they will fuel more hatred, division, and extremism which threaten world peace."

Imam el Sadi said that as a highly educated man, the Pope knew that Islam was a religion based on logic and reason, that the holy war was not an Islamic term and conception, and that war according to Islam was permitted only for defence and justified purposes.

Forcing people to embrace Islam was also against the teachings of the Holy Koran and Prophet Muhammad did not command his people to spread Islam by the sword but by wisdom and good words.

Imam el Sadi said he believed it was "a slip" of the Pope to quote Byzantine Emperor Manuel II since the statement quoted went against historical facts and constituted "an offence to the truth".

Such problematic statements also contradicted the spirit of the second Vatican Council which called for reconciliation, respect and dialogue with non-Christian religions.

"I am afraid that such unsuitable quotations will frustrate the great efforts of sincere men on both sides to promote reconciliation, dialogue and friendship between Islam and Christianity during the last four decades.

"It is not in the interest of Christians, Muslims and world peace to reopen the files of the regretted religious wars and old wounds," Imam el Sadi said.

Yet University professor Fr Peter Serracino Inglott said the Pope did well to say holy wars were not acceptable. Moreover, he said, the Pope's attack on "holy wars" was not specific to Islam, and could also be applied to when US President George Bush called the war against terror a crusade.

"The Pope is also attacking Christians who maintain the idea of holy war - not just Muslims".

Professor Serracino Inglott said while it was possible for Muslims to argue that the holy war as described by Mohammed in the Koran was valid, the conditions that justified holy war are no longer possible in today's world.

What the Pope said does not go against what is contained in the Koran.

Professor Serracino Inglott pointed out that the Pope was quoting the Emperor and not necessarily agreeing with the concept.

"Whether it was prudent to quote that opinion, which I think is wrong, is another issue. But the important thing is that the Pope was not maintaining that opinion, but simply pointing it out."