Monday, June 04, 2007

Pope to discuss Iraq with Bush

AP via Yahoo! News
By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer
Sun Jun 3, 10:27 PM ET

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI plans to discuss Iraq and the plight of Christians in that war-torn country when he meets for the first time with President Bush this week, the Vatican No. 2 said in an interview published Sunday.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said Benedict also plans to raise "the big ethical and social questions" of the day when he meets with Bush on Saturday at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.

"The United States is a great country and the current president is particularly distinguished for several positive initiatives in favor of the defense of life from conception," Bertone told Avvenire, the newspaper of the Italian Bishops Conference.

"Some problems remain, however," he said, citing the Iraq war, which the Vatican under the late Pope John Paul II vigorously opposed, as well as the worsening situation of Iraq's Christian minority.

Benedict has spoken out occasionally about the war in Iraq, most recently in his Easter message in which he decried that "nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees."

On other issues, however, the Vatican and Bush are on similar ground, such as in their opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

Last week, the U.S. national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said Bush planned to discuss Benedict's "strong stand against terrorism and religious extremism," among other issues, during the meeting.
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