Regensburg, Germany ? Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday that Islamic holy war was against God’s nature and invited Muslims to join in a peaceful cultural dialogue.

In a speech at Regensburg University, Benedict made an unusual reference to jihad, or holy war – a concept used by today’s Islamic extremists to justify suicide bombings and other attacks.

Benedict’s address was about faith and reason, and how they cannot be separated and are essential for “that genuine dialogue of cultures and religions so urgently needed today.”

“Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul,” the pope said, issuing an open invitation for dialogue among cultures.