BBC News
Rome, Sep 16: Pope Benedict XVI has said he is sorry that a speech in which he referred to Islam has offended Muslims.
In a statement read out by a senior Vatican official, the Pope said he respected Islam and hoped Muslims would understand the true sense of his words.
In Tuesday's speech the Pope quoted a 14th Century Christian emperor who said the Prophet Muhammad had brought the world only "evil and inhuman" things.
The remarks prompted protests from Muslims around the world.
The Holy Father is very sorry that some passages of his speech may have sounded offensive to the sensibilities of Muslim believers
Political and religious leaders in Muslim countries criticised the remarks and called for the pontiff to make a personal apology.
The BBC's Christian Fraser in Rome says the speed with which the Vatican has reacted shows just how seriously it views the situation.
Reading the statement, new Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said the Pope's position on Islam was in line with Vatican teaching that the Church "esteems Muslims, who adore the only God".
"The Holy Father is very sorry that some passages of his speech may have sounded offensive to the sensibilities of Muslim believers," the statement said.
Turkey concerns
Our correspondent says the statement goes as far as it can towards an apology.
Pope Benedict probably should self-criticise Christianity's violent past before commenting on the other faith
But the Pope is known to have strong feelings about the relationship between religion and violence and is unlikely to retract the sentiment of his speech.
There will still be concerns about whether to go ahead with the Pope's planned visit to Turkey in November, our correspondent says.
Some commentators in Rome have suggested it may be useful for his lecture to be translated into Arabic, so that people can make their own judgement and see for themselves in what context the quote was made.
Reactions to the speech have come from such leaders as Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who said efforts to link Islam and terrorism should be clearly opposed.
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the Pope should not underestimate the sense of outrage felt by Muslims.
But German Chancellor Angela Merkel came to the pontiff's defence, saying the aim of the speech had been misunderstood.
Protests
In his speech at Regensburg University on Tuesday, the German-born Pope explored the historical and philosophical differences between Islam and Christianity, and the relationship between violence and faith.
Stressing that they were not his own words, he quoted Emperor Manuel II Paleologos of the Byzantine Empire, the Orthodox Christian empire which had its capital in what is now the Turkish city of Istanbul.
Protests have remained peaceful and small-scale
The emperor's words were, he said: "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."
Benedict said "I quote" twice to stress the words were not his and added that violence was "incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul".
The speech provoked criticism from around the world, and there were street protests in Pakistan, India, Turkey and Gaza on Friday.
In the West Bank city of Nablus, two churches - one Anglican and one Orthodox - were attacked with firebombs on Saturday by assailants.
A group which said it carried out the attacks, calling itself the Lions of Monotheism, said they were protesting against the Pope's remarks.