Pope Benedict XVI quoted from a dialogue of the emperor allegedly denigrating the Prophet Muhammad In a lecture delivered in September 2006, Pope Benedict XVI quoted from a dialogue believed to have occurred in 1391 between Manuel II and a Persian scholar in which the Emperor stated: “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.” Many Muslims were offended by what was perceived as a denigration of Muhammad, and many reacted violently.
Home / Questions / The name of the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos would have stayed obscure but for a papal controversy in 2006 that directly involved his words. What happened?