Thanks TIA. As someone who was a virulent critic of Ratzinger during his many years in charge of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (successor body to the inquisition) I have to say he has surprised me several times since becoming the boss - not least in this initiative to improve relations with Islam.

It's a difficult thing to do, because there is no central authority on the muslim side that can speak for the whole of that religion. In this case the Vatican has been in discussion with the 138 muslim scholars who challenged him some time ago. But at least when mighty religions like these come face to face there is the always the possibility that they will begin to see merit in opposing positions and that the zealots on both sides will be undermined by consensus and compromise.