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Written by The Guardian (UK)
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Saturday, 16 September 2006 11:00 |
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"After a quiet first year as pontiff, God's Rottweiler shows his teeth"
"It is tempting to see the Pope's controversial reference to a 14th century Byzantine emperor in the same light - as the gaffe of an other-worldly intellectual who does not stop to think that his words are going to be seized on by journalists. However, he more or less apologised in advance for the "startling brusqueness" of the emperor's remark that Muhammad brought "only evil and inhuman" things. That suggests he was fully aware of the impact it could make..."
Who was the 14th C Byzantine emperor? Manuel II Palaeologus, whose son lost the empire to the Turks in 1453. His granddaughter, Zoë Sophia, married Ivan III of Moscow, and her terrible grandson (Ivan IV) became the first official Czar of Russia. The Pope in that era had arranged Zoë's marriage to Ivan, as he hoped she would convert Russia to Roman Catholicism. Unfortunately for him, Zoë converted back to Orthodoxy once she reached Moscow. Zoë gave Russia the traditions of the Byzantine court, as well as the throne of Byzantium, the rights to use the double headed eagle heraldry, and the title of Czar (or Caesar).
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