VATICAN CITY (AP) — The grand sheik at the highest theological college in the Sunni Muslim world has agreed to meet with Pope Benedict XVI in Rome, the Vatican said.
Cardinal Paul Poupard, who leads the Vatican commission on relations with Muslims, went to Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo to meet with Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, grand sheik at the Al-Azhar Mosque, and extended the invitation. It "was accepted with satisfaction," the Vatican said Tuesday.
No date was announced for the visit.
Benedict has been trying to improve Christian relations with the Muslim world, particularly after a speech he gave Sept. 12 at Regensburg university in Germany that touched off violent Muslim protests. The pontiff had quoted a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman," particularly "his command to spread by the sword the faith."
Benedict has expressed regret that the citation offended Muslims.
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