VATICAN CITY, JUNE 4, 2007 (Zenit.org).- According to the Vatican secretary of state, U.S. President George Bush's upcoming visit to Benedict XVI will include a range of topics for discussion, including Iraq.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said this in an interview with the Italian bishops' newspaper Avvenire on Sunday.
He said that the Pope and the president will discuss Latin America. "They will also speak about the Middle East and the great ethical and social questions that regard the peoples of the world," the cardinal added.
Cardianal Bertone recognized that Bush has done some positive things in defending life.
"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," he contended.
However, the secretary of state also pointed to problems: "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."
Code: ZE07060402
Date: 2007-06-04