Iranian president expresses 'respect' for pope

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said he respects Pope Benedict XVI, apparently downplaying the pontiff’s remarks on Islam and holy war.

“Regarding the issue of the pope’s comments, we respect the pope and all of those who are interested in peace and justice,” Ahmadinejad told a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela, as he ended a two-day visit.

The Iranian leader’s comments came a day after the pope apologised for the angry response to a speech he gave last week, quoting a medieval text characterising some of the Prophet Mohammed’s teachings as “evil and inhuman”.

The remarks caused one of the biggest international crises involving the Holy See in decades.

Benedict said on Sunday that he was “deeply sorry” his speech offended Muslims, and that the words did not reflect his own opinions.