BKERKE, Lebanon - The spiritual leader of Lebanon's Maronites, the largest Christian community in the Muslim-majority state, defended the pope Sunday against what he termed a political campaign sparked by a misunderstanding.

"The criticism of the pope is political," Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir told AFP from the patriarchate in Bkerke, north of the Lebanese capital.

Pope Benedict XVI had "not spoken directly about Islam" in his speech which has aroused widespread anger across the Muslim world, said Sfeir, whose rite forms part of the Catholic church.

"Islam in general respects Christ as a prophet. Christians and Muslims have a common interest in cooperating, especially in Lebanon," he said.

During his Sunday sermon in Bkerke, the patriarch expressed "sorrow about the reactions in the Islamic world" over a speech which the head of the Roman Catholic Church made Tuesday in Germany linking violence and Islam.

He said the speech had been misunderstood.

The pope on Sunday sought to mollify Muslim anger, saying he was "deeply sorry" for the outrage sparked by his remarks and stressing that they did not reflect his personal opinion.

On Tuesday Benedict quoted a 14th-century Byzantine emperor who said innovations introduced by the Prophet Mohammed were "evil and inhuman," sparking outrage across the Muslim world.

Copyright © 1999-2006 Lebanonwire^®.com. All rights reserved.