Pope Benedict XVI sought to mollify Muslim anger, saying he was "deeply sorry" for the outrage sparked by his recent remarks toward Islam and stressed they did not reflect his personal opinion.

The pope's expression of regret was welcomed by several prominent Muslim groups that said they hoped his words would calm tensions that have flared throughout the Muslim world.

But other Muslim organizations seemed to reject the pope's statement as falling short of the full, personal apology they had demanded, with some Islamist groups issuing fresh threats of attacks against Christians.

Benedict had come under mounting pressure from Muslim leaders worldwide to retract his remarks made in Germany Tuesday in which he quoted an obscure medieval text that criticized some teachings of the Prophet Mohammed as "evil and inhuman."

"I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address ... which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims," the pope said during the traditional Angelus blessing from the balcony of his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome.

He stressed that the passages he quoted during a speech at Regensburg University "do not in any way express my personal thought."

"I hope that this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect," he added.

The pope's comments in Germany had triggered widespread condemnation across the Muslim world, amid violent protests reminiscent of those that erupted after a Danish newspaper printed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed a year ago.

Source: Xinhua/agencies