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From Robert Moynihan`s staff writer, Andrea Kirk Assaf, who received a journalism fellowship in 2003, during the debate over just war and the invasion of Iraq, to research and write on the relationship between the Bush administration and the Vatican. Her articles on this subject have appeared in Inside the Vatican magazine and elsewhere, and she has also been interviewed by television, radio and print media:
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...The only hint the Vatican statement provided regarding the views the Pope and his aides expressed on those many issues was contained in the following sentence: "On the part of the Holy See, hope was once again expressed in a 'regional' and 'negotiated' solution to the conflicts and crises afflicting the region" of the Middle East.

This seems clearly a diplomatic way for the Holy See to express its view that Middle Eastern conflicts should be solved, not by foreign (i.e., American) intervention, and not through a unilateral, militarily-imposed solution, but through a multilateral, negotiated settlement.

This is an view that has been expressed in more direct language in the past by Cardinal Ratzinger, before he had the spotlight of the papacy upon him. "It is necessary that the community of nations makes the decision, not a particular power," the then-cardinal told Avvenire newspaper in 2002. He went on to state his personal conclusion that "the damage would be greater than the values one hopes to save."

He also disagreed with the concept of preventative war, pointing out that it does not exist in the Catholic Catechism. Speaking in his capacity as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, then-Cardinal Ratzinger explained that while "it is true that the Catechism has developed a doctrine that, on the one hand, does not exclude the fact that there are values and peoples that must be defended in some circumstances; on the other hand, it offers a very precise doctrine on the limits of these possibilities."

Cardinal Ratzinger was always careful to temper these points by consistently acknowledging that political questions were not in his competence, that it was not "heretical" to disagree with the Pope on matters of war, and that the appropriate authority for making the final decision to engage in war are public officials, not the Church.

He did, however, clearly state that the authority to make such decisions should lie solely within the power of the United Nations (even if "the U.N. can be criticized" for a number of inadequacies) as "it is the instrument created after the war [World War II] for the coordination -- including moral -- of politics."

The Vatican's nuanced support for the United Nations is a complex topic for another article, but it is worthwhile to point out that despite U.N. approval and international cooperation for the first Gulf War in 1991, John Paul II still condemned the war as unjustified, as did much of the Iraqi Chaldean hierarchy.

One of the central reasons -- prior to both the first Gulf War and the current crisis -- for their objection to attacking Iraq was stated in an Inside the Vatican interview with the late Iraqi priest Fr. Ragheed Ganni just a few months before the invasion: "If there is a war, the first victims will be Christian; on a local level, the people will turn against the Christians."

The End of the Church in Iraq?

Tragic events affecting the safety and sustainability of Christians in Iraq over the last few weeks only seem to reinforce Benedict's prediction that the damage to Iraq caused by war might be greater than the values saved, at least from the perspective of the Iraqi Christian community. The June 3 murder of Fr. Ragheed Ganni and three deacons following a Mass at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Mosul-- a parish which has suffered numerous attacks over the last four years -- was followed by the kidnapping of another Chaldean priest, Fr. Hani Abdel Ahad and five boys on their way to visit a minor seminary in Baghdad (the boys were later released but Fr. Ahad is still being held). Both terrorist actions hint at a systematic campaign to eliminate the future leaders of the Chaldean Church.

And these are only the latest in a series of increasing sectarian attacks on Christians that have led the Chaldean hierarchy to fear that Christianity will soon be extinct in Iraq after a 2,000 year history. Along with Muslim Iraqis, Christian Iraqi civilians have been flooding out of Iraq, decreasing the population from more than half a million in 2003 to a little less than 20,000, according to figures cited by an Apcom article written today by Serena Sartini and Iacopo Scaramuzzi.

The figures show a rapid decline in the Iraqi Christian population in recent months. An October 2006 report sent from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice numbered the Christian population at 600,000. In a covering letter, the US bishops asked the State Department urgently to find ways to improve the security of Christians, even to consider establishing an "administrative region" in the Nineveh Plain Area for them. Christians make up 40 percent of the refugees fleeing Iraq, though they are just three or four percent of the total population.

Benedict XVI, drawing upon the reports and opinions he receives from the Chaldean hierarchy, the Apostolic Nuncio in Iraq, and the Congregation for Oriental Churches, has made the situation of Christians in Iraq a priority.

President Bush himself made mention of the Holy Father's deep concern for Iraqi Christians in a press conference yesterday afternoon. "He was concerned that the society that was evolving (in Iraq) would not tolerate the Christian religion," the president told the press, "and I assured him we were working hard to make sure that people lived up to the (Iraqi) constitution -- that modern constitution voted on by the people from different walks of life and different attitudes."

President Bush's reference to this concern of Benedict's, coming just an hour or two after their meeting, makes clear that this was one of the central points the Pope made to Bush.

While Iraq's modern constitution may protect Christians and other religious minorities from persecution in theory, facts on the ground strongly suggest civil authorities are at best limited in their ability to curb religious persecution and at worst turn a blind eye to it.

In an unprecedented statement in May, the Iraqi Chaldean Patriarch, Emmanuel III Delly, lamented that "Christians are killed, chased out of their homes before the very eyes of those who are supposed to be responsible for their safety." Patriarch Delly went on to say: "Today, Christians are persecuted in a country where everyone is fighting for their own personal interests. They have always lived in Iraq and over the years they have done everything possible to contribute to its development together with their Muslim brothers."

The terrorists responsible for the persecution, kidnappings, attacks, and murders are rarely captured, and blame is often attributed to the Iraqi government for their failure to provide protection and to the U.S.-led coalition for starting a war in their country.

"For a while, the Christian community has been subjected to kidnapping and threats with neither protection from the government nor the coalition forces," the Chaldean representative to the Holy See, Monsignor Philip Najim, said in his homily at a requiem Mass for Fr. Ragheed in Rome last week. "After the embargo, which was both unjust and imposed, and years of American occupation, there is still only a sectarian Iraq where Christians do not receive assistance, no one fights for their cause, and they were abandoned," Najim said. "This is a major historic, political, and human injustice. We need the Holy See to encourage unity in the Iraqi church and among all Christians."

What, if any, solution to the current crisis the Pope prefers has not been discussed by any Vatican official, and it is highly unlikely he would ever choose to articulate an opinion on the matter unless the Iraqi hierarchy were to unite on a position and lobby the Holy See for support. With the debate over troop withdrawal from Iraq already dominating the 2008 presidential campaign, any Vatican statements on Iraq will be scrupulously examined for hints of an opinion on the matter, just as comments by Vatican officials during the lead up to war in Iraq made headlines around the world.

Collaboration and Conflict

"The United States is a great country and the current president has particularly distinguished himself in regard to some positive initiatives in defense of life from conception," Cardinal Bertone told Avvenire prior to Bush's visit. "There remain, however, some problems, already made manifest by that great prophet who was the Servant of God John Paul II, for example, the Iraq war and the dramatic situation of Iraqi Christians, which is always getting worse."

The Vatican Secretary of State's comments reflect the major themes in the relationship between the Bush administration and the Holy See during Bush's six and a half years at the White House and with two different pontiffs. Speaking in general terms, there has been agreement and collaboration to an unprecedented level for an U.S. president and the Pope of Rome, but only on particular issues. On the other hand, the relationship has been marked by persistent tension because of the decision to go to war in Iraq, which the Vatican took many steps to prevent through diplomatic initiatives, as well as on the role and supremacy of international law. On the fight against terrorism in general, both John Paul II and Benedict XVI often lent their support in speeches condemning this "modern scourge," as John Paul described it, but in large terms....Just as he often spoke of his admiration for John Paul II, Bush yesterday described his first meeting with Joseph Ratzinger since his election as Benedict XVI as a "moving experience," saying he felt "awe" to be in the presence of the Holy Father, whom Bush described as a "very smart, loving man."

And just as with John Paul II, Bush managed to maintain a great personal admiration for the Pope even when receiving papal criticism of his policies. At their first greeting, both men seemed pleased, even nervously excited, to be in one another's company.

President Bush wore a more somber expression following their private discussions, however, as he introduced the Pope to his entourage that included Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff and master planner Karl Rove. As the group was ushered from the papal apartments following the final photographs, a woman with a clip board leaned toward Rove as he was passing by and told him reassuringly, "We're doing OK," referring to the minute by minute itinerary she was holding and checking off for the Bush delegation. Pope visit? Check. Next up, Vatican Secretariat of State followed by lunch with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and coffee with Silvio Berlusconi. The race was back on.

Benedict's Agenda: The Christians of the Middle East

Benedict, proving he is just as much a man on a mission as Bush, left the Vatican in a motorcade shortly after his meeting with the president, while Bush was still in his meeting at the Secretariat of State.

The meeting the Pope went to attend carried on the themes discussed during the meeting he had just held with the president, themes the president was at that moment still discussing with Cardinal Bertone and Archbishop Mamberti.

The Pope went outside the Vatican's walls to the Congregation for Oriental Churches on via della Conciliazione at 12:30 pm to announce the appointment of a lifelong Vatican diplomat, the Argentine Archbishop Leonardi Sandri, 62, as the Congregation's new Prefect, replacing Syrian-born Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, the former Patriarch of Antioch.

In the Pope's remarks, Benedict summarized his pressing concern for persecuted Christians that he articulated to President Bush: "From my heart, I invoke peace for the Holy Land, Iraq, Lebanon, and all the territories that are under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for Oriental Churches, and for other regions involved in a spiral of apparently unstoppable violence," the Pope said. "May the Churches and the disciples of the Lord stay where they were placed at birth by Divine Providence, where they deserve to remain because of a presence that dates back to the beginnings of Christianity."

Also, in the few minutes between President Bush's visit and his short ride to the Congregation for Oriental Churches, Benedict found time to deliver another speech, in French, to the regional bishops' conference of North Africa, in Rome on their five-yearly ad limina visit. Here too, Benedict touched upon the issue of Christians in Muslim countries, this time highlighting the positive developments taking place in the relations between Christians and Muslims in their region: "I am happy to know that, because of initiatives of dialogue and places of encounter, such as centers of study and libraries, you are engaged in the development and the deepening of esteemed and respectful relations between Christians and Muslims to promote reconciliation, justice, and peace," Benedict said.

"On the other hand, in the sharing of the daily life, Christians and Muslims can find the essential base for a better and mutual knowledge," he added. "By fraternal participation in each other's joys and pains, especially in the most significant moments of existence, and by multiple collaborations in the domain of health, education, culture, or in the service of the most humble, you manifest an authentic solidarity, which strengthens the ties of trust and friendship among persons, families, and communities."

These encouraging initiatives and collaborative activities that lay the foundation for peaceful co-existence between Christians and Muslims may do little to counter the rise of terrorism and the persecution of Christians on the global level, but they will certainly be examined by the Vatican as counter-measures to growing religious sectarianism at the local community level, particularly in Iraq. The Pope's "point men" on the issue of how to support the persecuted church in Iraq and throughout the Middle East will certainly include his two new appointments, Archbishop Sandri -- formerly the "Substitute" or Deputy Secretary for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State -- and Sandri's replacement, Arch-Bishop Fernando Filoni. Filoni was the Apostolic Nuncio in Jordan and Iraq from 2001 to 2006.

So Benedict left a meeting with Bush to give a speech to North African bishops' focused on working in collaboration with local Mulsims, and to introduce two new, key appointments, one for the Congregation which oversees the Churches in the Middle East, the other for the Vatican's top diplomatic post, and the men he introduced were Sandri, an extremely savvy and experienced diplomat, and Filoni, who has just had five years of first-hand experience of the Middle East, and of Iraq in particular. In the delicate language of Vatican juxtaposition, the three meetings on the same day -- Bush, the North African bishops, the Oriental Congregation to introduce Sandri and Filoni -- speak volumes about the Vatican's focus and intentions. The Pope is giving his personal attention to the question of Christian-Muslim relations in the Middle East, and choosing the best men available to him to help him forge a policy to protect the remaining Christians of that region of the world.

A U.S. diplomat once described the Vatican as the "best listening post in the world." Prior to his papal audience, President Bush said he would be in "listening mode" when he met Benedict, just as he said he would "be there to listen" commenting on his final visit to John Paul II in 2004.

It is a wise approach, considering the accumulated wisdom of the Church on all matters pertaining to the lives of men, be they political, social, or moral. And given the new "intelligence team" Benedict has at his command, and his access to discovering facts on the ground in Iraq in places where even the powerful U.S. government cannot reach, listening to the Holy See is not only wise, it is essential to the long-term success of the U.S.'s mission.

The Bush administration has continuously and effectively courted the Vatican in the hopes of deepening collaboration and avoiding conflict. It is a policy and an attitude that the Holy See appreciates and welcomes, but Pope Benedict will not flattered into a political partnership that could compromise the Church's moral judgments and principles.

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"Bush is 'in awe' of pope"
The pontiff urges the president to seek a "regional and negotiated" solution to Mideast crises.
By Tracy Wilkinson and James Gerstenzang, Times Staff Writers
11:54 AM PDT, 09 June 2007
ROME -- With Italians filling the streets of Rome to decry the war in Iraq, President Bush was given a more subtle, but still pointed, message about Mideast policy today in his first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI.

Benedict urged the U.S. president to pursue a "regional and negotiated" solution to the violent crises engulfing the Middle East, a Vatican statement said. It voiced special alarm about the plight of the besieged and dwindling community of Christians in Iraq.

Bush later said he was "in awe" of the leader of the world's largest Christian faith, a man with whom he shares conservative religious values, and he sought to reassure the pope about the possibilities for peace. The two leaders met privately for 31 minutes at the Vatican's regal Apostolic Palace, and their discussion was later described by Bush, the Vatican and aides to both men.

In "cordial discussions," the Vatican said, "particular attention was given to the Israeli-Palestinian question, to Lebanon, to the worrying situation in Iraq and to the critical conditions being experienced by the Christian communities."

"On the part of the Holy See, hope was once again expressed in a 'regional' and 'negotiated' solution to the conflicts and crises afflicting the region," the Vatican said....

He probably saw political value in appearing with the pope, even though he knew to expect a scolding. Any photograph of the president and Benedict is a reminder of areas they do agree on, including their shared opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, and thus serves as a quiet papal blessing that reinforces Republican Party efforts to reach out to Roman Catholic voters in the United States.

It is in foreign policy where the differences emerge. Benedict has been vocal in his opposition to bloodshed in the Middle East.

By urging Bush to seek a negotiated solution, the Pope may have been condemning the militaristic approach adopted by this U.S. administration in places such as Iraq, or the hands-off approach taken until recently in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Still, Bush was spared the more public rebuke he received three years ago when Pope John Paul II, after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Bush, launched into a condemnation of the "deplorable" abuses of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.

True to his personality and style of governance, Benedict did not use Bush's presence to make public remarks of substance, and instead chose to deliver his message in private.

Bush emerged from the Vatican palace seemingly more subdued. Arriving, however, Bush was full of smiles, and only minimally observant of protocol.

Meeting the Pope, Bush said: "Good to be with you, sir." Italian journalists noted the breach in protocol: the pope is formally addressed as "Your Holiness."

Later, during a news conference with Prodi, the prime minister, Bush was asked his impressions of Benedict.

"I was talking to a very smart, loving man,...After 6 1/2 years of being the president, I've been to some unusual places ... I was in awe," Bush said.

They did not discuss the concept of a "just war," Bush said in answer to a question; the Vatican considered the war in Afghanistan to be justified but not the one in Iraq.
In January 2001, Pope John Paul appointed Fernando Feloni nuncio to Iraq and Jordan, and consecrated him a bishop on March 19, 2001. The late pontiff opposed the U.S.-led war on Iraq that began in March 2003. As nuncio, Archbishop Filoni was the only Western diplomat in Baghdad all through the war. He made himself available to Christians and Muslims alike, and to foreign journalists who much appreciated his courage, good humor and hospitality.
As attacks were launched against Christian Churches in Baghdad and Kirkuk, Filoni came close to being killed in Baghdad on Feb. 1, 2006, when a car bomb exploded next to the nunciature. "Thank God we survived," he stated afterward.

The Pope did express his "deep concern" that the "society evolving in Iraq would not tolerate Christians," Bush said, adding that he told the pontiff that Iraq's constitution would protect minorities. Bush said he also used his talks with Benedict to defend humanitarian programs undertaken by his government.

Plinio Lepri:



Bush meets pope, promotes U.S. AIDS work...
Bush and Pope Benedict XVI discussed the "worrying situation in Iraq," the Vatican said, By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent Sun 10 Jun 2:58 AM ET in ROME -
President Bush, denounced by tens of thousands of anti-American protesters on the streets of Rome, defended his humanitarian record on Saturday to
Pope Benedict XVI, who expressed concern about "the worrisome situation in Iraq."...
The President went to the
Vatican for his first meeting with the Pope, who has lamented the "continual slaughter" in Iraq and concluded that "nothing positive comes from Iraq."
The pope asked Bush about his talks in Germany with Russian President
Vladimir Putin at a time of deep strain between Moscow and Washington. The pope also asked Bush about his meeting last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who opposes the Bush administration's plan to deploy several defensive missiles in Poland but has offered a Soviet-era radar installation in Azerbaijan as the eyes of a joint U.S.-Russian-run defensive network.
"The dialogue with Putin was also good?" the Pope asked.
"I'll tell you in a minute," Bush said, mindful of the presence of reporters and television cameras during the photo opportunity. They both laughed.
"I was talking to a very smart, loving man," Bush said later of his discussion with the pope. "I was in awe and it was a moving experience."...
The president received a splashy Vatican welcome. Television cameras recorded his every move as Bush walked through marbled Vatican halls to the pope's private library. The president and pope talked for 35 minutes. Afterward,
Laura Bush, wearing a black mantilla head covering, joined the President and Pope. The main boulevard leading to St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican was cordoned off.
Inside the Vatican, the spectacularly uniformed Swiss Guard greeted Bush's arrival for his session with the pope. Benedict has spoken out against the war in Iraq, saying during his Easter message in St. Peter's Square that "nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees."

VATICAN CITY (MCT) In weeklong travels through Europe, President Bush has promoted his vision of "a freedom agenda" and thanked allies for support with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but here at The Holy See, in his first audience with Pope Benedict XVI, the president was reminded that not all is well in the world.

The Vatican, describing the private meeting of the pope and president on Saturday as "cordial," said later that they had addressed "the international political situation" including "the worrying situation in Iraq."

"We didn't talk about 'just' war," Bush said at a brief news conference in Rome later, professing himself to be "in awe" of the new pope after their 30-minute meeting. "He did express big concern about the Christians inside Iraq, that he was concerned that the society that is evolving would not tolerate the Christian religion.... He is deeply concerned about that, and we spent a long time talking about it."
The Vatican's official statement on the meeting focused on "the international political situation." This includes the situations in Darfur and the Middle East: "Particular attention was given to the Israeli-Palestinian question, to Lebanon, to the worrying situation in Iraq and to the critical conditions being experienced by the Christian communities."
They discussed moral and religious issues, according to the Vatican, including human rights and religious freedom, "the defense and promotion of life, marriage and the family" and education.

The president said the pope expressed concern that the Muslim majority in Iraq was intolerant of Christians. A Vatican statement said Bush, in talks with the pope and the Vatican's No. 2 official, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, discussed the "worrisome situation in Iraq" and the "critical conditions in which the Christian communities (in Iraq) are found," the statement said.
Bush said the United States is pressing Iraq torn by sectarian violence to live by a constitution "that would honor people from different walks of life and different attitudes." He said there was no discussion whether Iraq was a "just war."...


(L'Osservatore Romano, HO):

Bush sought Saturday to reassure Pope Benedict XVI over the plight of Iraq's minority Christians....
Bush and Pope discuss war in Iraq:

By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer Sat Jun 9, 2:10 PM ET in ROME -
President Bush, deeply unpopular here and met by boisterous protests, sought to impress Pope Benedict XVI and the Italian public on Saturday with his humanitarian record and downplayed differences with the Vatican over Iraq.
In his meeting with Bush, the Vatican said the pope raised "the worrisome situation in Iraq."...
The Pope, for his part, opposes the
Iraq war but supports the US leader's stance on abortion and other social issues.
Bush said of the Pope during an interview with European journalists last month: "He's a good thinker and a smart man. I'll be in a listening mode."
The US leader was to have stopped in Rome's Trastevere district to visit the lay Catholic Sant'Egidio community and its home church Santa Maria in Trastevere, but the visit was cancelled for "logistical" reasons.
Instead, Sant'Egidio officials will meet Bush at the US embassy.
The Italian news agency ANSA reported that US and Italian security officials determined that the visit would be too risky because Bush would have to cover a substantial distance on foot in the largely pedestrian area.
----------------------------------------------
After their meeting:
"He was concerned that the society that was evolving would not tolerate the Christian religion," Bush explained at a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi during the president's swing through Europe....
The Iraq war was vigorously opposed by the late
Pope John Paul II, and Benedict, in his Easter message, denounced the "continual slaughter" in Iraq and said that "nothing positive" is happening."
Bush said he assured the Pope whom he described as "very smart, loving man" that the United States was working hard to ensure that the Iraqi people live up to their constitution in treating Christians fairly.
The President said their was no discussion of "just war," a Christian doctrine that says war must have a reasonable chance of success of not doing more harm than good. According to the doctrine, war must be a last resort, launched in response to unjust aggression and civilians must be safeguarded.
"He's worrisome about the Christians inside Iraq being mistreated by the Muslim majority," he said....
Bush flashed a thumbs-up when the Pope asked he was better, though White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said the president still was "not 100 percent."
...The pontiff expressed his hope for a "regional" and "negotiated" solution of conflicts and crises that afflict the Middle East, the Vatican said. Bush hailed his humanitarian record....
Bush met with the prime minister several hours after his first sit-down with Benedict. Bush and Benedict appeared intent to look beyond their differences in Iraq.

(Plinio Lepri-Pool - VATICAN):








Kevin Lamarque (VATICAN):
U.S. President George W. Bush watches his advisor Karl Rove (L) during the presentation of his delegation to Pope Benedict XVI:



In a library adorned with a painting of the Virgin Mary by Antoniazzo Romano and a large crucifix sculptured by Giotto, the pope and president exchanged gifts.
The pontiff gave the president a 17th-century lithograph of St. Peter's Basilica and a gold Vatican medallion. The president gave the pope a white walking stick crafted by a former homeless man, Dallas artist Roosevelt Wilkerson, a piece of native Texas wood inscribed with the Ten Commandments:


U.S. President George W. Bush (L) presents Pope Benedict XVI with a walking stick, hand carved by a former homeless man from Texas. In a library adorned with a painting of the Virgin Mary by Antoniazzo Romano and a large crucifix sculptured by Giotto, the pope and president exchanged gifts.
The pontiff gave the president a 17th-century lithograph of St. Peter's Basilica and a gold Vatican medallion. The president gave the pope a white walking stick crafted by a former homeless man, Dallas artist Roosevelt Wilkerson, a piece of native Texas wood inscribed with the Ten Commandments.
The pontiff presented the president with a drawing of St. Peter's Basillica, an official Vatican gold medal.
The president gave the pope a rare first edition of an autobiography of John Carroll, the first archbishop in the United States and founder of the Roman Catholic Church in America.

(LEPRI-AP)

L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict VI looks at some gifts presented him by U.S. President George Bush at the end of their talks. U.S. President George W. Bush exchanges gifts with Pope Benedict XVI in The Vatican Saturday, June 9, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert):



(Reuters)
Bush also gave the pope lithographs of documents from the National Archives and a Moses walking sticking, made by a former homeless man in Dallas, Texas, who engraved it with the Ten Commandments. :

(AP)




Bush's visit to the Vatican his first meeting with Benedict was a major event in Rome.




It was carried live on television, even capturing his progress through its marbled, frescoed rooms escorted by a quartet of the Swiss Guard, the elite papal security corps dressed in their distinctive orange, blue and red-striped uniforms.
Hours after Bush had discussed Middle East peace with Pope Benedict and was wrapping up meetings with Italian politicians, police in riot gear charged and fired tear gas at demonstrators who had thrown bottles at them in Rome's historic centre.
Bush later said he felt "awe" in the presence of the Pope, who urged him to seek "regional and negotiated" solutions to Middle East conflicts like Iraq.
Addressing the 80-year-old Roman Catholic leader as "sir" instead of the usual honorific "Your Holiness," Bush heard the Pope's concerns about the Middle East and the plight of Christians in Iraq.
A Vatican statement said Benedict and Bush had discussed the Middle East and the Holy See's "hope for a regional and negotiated solution to the conflicts that afflict that region."
"It's good to be with you, sir," Bush said as he sat before the Pontiff's desk in his private study.
The two men see eye-to-eye on ethical issues like abortion and euthanasia but differ on the war in Iraq, which Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, tried hard to avert.
He told the Pope in front of reporters about what he called "the very strong AIDS initiative" at the Group of Eight summit this week, which pledged $60 billion to fight diseases ravaging Africa -- although much of that was made up of existing pledges. While Italy is withdrawing its troops from Iraq, it still is supporting a NATO mission in Afghanistan. Bush, thanking allies such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Albania and Bulgaria during a weeklong tour promoting a freedom agenda, thanked the government here. And he promoted his "compassion agenda" as well, addressing a religious organization that sponsors treatment for people infected with HIV in Africa.
"I've got a very strong AIDS initiative," said Bush, who has proposed to double the current U.S. commitment for fighting AIDS in Africa to $30 billion over the next five years and pledged to the pope that he will press hard for Congress to approve that commitment.

When the Pope mentioned Bush had come from the G8 summit, Bush said: "I did -- your old country -- and it was successful ... A lot of different opinions, but it was good."
Asked if his dialogue with Russian President
Vladimir Putin, closely watched because of a number of sharp disagreements between Russia and the West, had been good, Bush responded with a smile as reporters were being ushered out of the room.
"I'll tell you in a minute," he said.


Jim Watson:
US President George W. Bush shakes hands with Pope Benedict XVI as they meet at the Vatican. The pontiff said he wished for "negotiated, regional" solutions to the conflicts of the Middle East, during talks with Bush, the Vatican said.(AFP/Jim Watson)





Bush reassures pope on Iraq's Christians as protest turns violent

by Gina Doggett Sat Jun 9, 3:41 PM ET

ROME (AFP) - US
President George W. Bush sought Saturday to reassure
Pope Benedict XVI over the plight of war-torn Iraq's minority Christians, while later an otherwise peaceful protest against the US leader's visit turned violent.
The Pope "did express deep concern about the Christians inside Iraq," Bush told a news conference in Rome less than a week after a Chaldean priest and three deacons were murdered.
"I assured him we were working hard to make sure that people lived up to the constitution" calling for religious tolerance and honouring "people from different walks of life," Bush said.
The murders last Sunday in northern Iraq were followed three days later by the kidnapping of another priest and five of his parishioners belonging to the Chaldean Catholic church, an autonomous Eastern rite church with upwards of 700,000 followers.

Bush said of his first audience with the pontiff who was chosen in April 2005: "I was talking to a very smart, loving man. I was in awe, and it was a moving experience for me."

"Mideast Christians worry Vatican"

Saturday, 09 June 7:31 AM ET

VATICAN CITY - A senior
Vatican official on Saturday lamented the plight of Christians in the Middle East who are suffering because of wars, other violence and uncertainty over the future.

Archbishop Leonardo Sandri singled out Christians in the Holy Land, Lebanon and
Iraq in a statement he issued upon his appointment as head of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, many of whose members live in the Middle East.

The Vatican has expressed alarm in recent years over the flight of ancient Christian communities from the Middle East and violence directed against Catholics in Iraq both subjects expected to have been on the agenda of
Pope Benedict XVI's talks Saturday with
President Bush.

The Christian community in Iraq is about 3 percent of the country's 26 million people. Many churches are now nearly empty, with many of their faithful either gone or too scared to attend.

Sandri said his thoughts went out to "those suffering in the Holy Land, in Iraq, in Lebanon and wherever because of war, violence and uncertainty over the future. I am (also) thinking of those forced to leave their homelands."

The Argentine-born Sandri, the Vatican's undersecretary of state, had become known as the "voice of the pope" for reading many of the late
Pope John Paul II's speeches during his long illness.

Pope Benedict named Archbishop Fernando Filoni, an Italian prelate who served as Vatican envoy in Iraq from 2001-2006, as undersecretary of state.
U.S. President George Bush shakes hands with Pope Benedict XVI at the end of their talks:
(AP)
wilkinson@latimes.com james.gerstenzang@latimes.com
Bush, Pope Benedict weigh 'the worrying situation in Iraq', By Mark Silva of The "Chicago Tribune"