Although the Pope and the Vatican have clearly stated that the Pope did not intend to offend Muslims in his Regensburg address, he did.

The Pope's comments have to be judged within the broader statements that he has made about Islam and the importance of inter-religious dialogue. However, his references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, violence and the spread of Islam by the sword in his Regensburg speech were ill-timed and his comments on the Quran inaccurate.

Muslim responses in Turkey and elsewhere need to be understood within our post-9/11 world in which there is greater polarization and an alarming increase in Islamophobia. Many feel under seige. A Gallup World Poll of some 800 million Muslims from Morocco to Indonesia indicates widespread resentment over what they see as the denigration of Islam and Arabs and Muslims in the West.

It is perfectly understandable that Muslims would call for an apology much the same as Jewish leaders in the past have called for apologies from the Papacy or other Church leaders for offensive comments or actions.This was the case for American Jewish leaders before the papal visit of 1987 after Pope John Paul II met with [former U.N. Secretary General] Kurt Waldheim.

Pope Benedict did express his regret, though not apologize, indicating, as he has said, that while he did not mean to offend Muslims, he recognizes and regrets the pain he has caused. He affirmed his respect for Islam and Muslims. Major Muslim leaders while expressing their deep hurt and responding to many of their concerns with his statement also reaffirmed their commitment to Muslim-Christian dialogue.

Having been in Turkey twice in the past two weeks, it is clear that while there are diverse responses, many Turks are deeply troubled both by what they see as the Pope's failure to adequately apologize for his statements at Regensburg and by earlier statements regarding Turkey's candidacy for admission to the EU.

Pope Benedict now has an opportunity on the occasion of his visit to Turkey to demonstrate in his public pronouncements his respect for Islam and desire to continue the major accomplishments that the Catholic church has made since Vatican II in Catholic-Muslim dialogue. More specifically, he can reiterate his recent statements regarding his high regard for Turkey and its peoples.

Can the Pope and the Christian church in general help Muslims take on their more violent and extreme elements? I think Christian churches have a rather full plate dealing with their own problems. Public statements, in contrast to private conversations, would be seen as inappropriate, condescending and could backfire.

How would the Pope feel if the Sheikh of Al-Azhar or a Grand Mufti publicly lectured him and Catholicism on their own serious problems such as pedophilia and the failures of many in both covering up or not responding adequately?

We live in very critical times when both religious extremism and Islamophbia are on the increase. One can hope that the Pope and Muslim religious leaders, mainstream Christians and Muslims, building on their significant past accomplishments, will increase their efforts and work together to bring their communities closer in facing a common future.