Pope, Bush Back Lebanon”s Sovereignty and Independence
Pope Benedict XVI and U.S. President George Bush have expressed concern over Christians in war-torn Iraq, agreed on the need to create a Palestinian state, and said Lebanon must be free of undue foreign influence, according to a joint statement released by the White House.
The two “devoted considerable time in their discussions to the Middle East, in particular resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict in line with the vision of two states living side-by-side in peace and security, their mutual support for the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon, and their common concern for the situation in Iraq and particularly the precarious state of Christian communities there and elsewhere in the region,” the joint statement said Wednesday.
Benedict and Bush also “reaffirmed their total rejection of terrorism as well as the manipulation of religion to justify immoral and violent acts against innocents.”
The 45 minute talks in the Oval Office were followed by a prayer service with hundreds of American bishops at a national shrine in Washington.
Benedict told the Roman Catholic leaders that the clergy sex abuse scandal has sometimes been “very badly handled.”
He said that it was important to remember that the vast majority of priests served faithfully but that it also was the bishops” “God-given responsibility” to reach out to those who had been “so seriously wronged.”
Earlier in the day, Benedict drew an adoring crowd of 13,500 people to the South Lawn, where his 81st birthday was celebrated complete with choruses of “Happy Birthday” and a big cake.
The warm feelings didn”t stop the pope from gently nudging the U.S. in a White House speech to use diplomacy to resolve international disputes.
“America has traditionally shown herself generous in meeting immediate human needs, fostering development and offering relief to the victims of natural catastrophes,” the pope said. “I am confident that this concern for the greater human family will continue to find expression in support for the patient efforts of international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and promote progress.
Picture: Pope Benedict XVI (L) and US President George W. Bush walk along the Colonnade following an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, DC. Pope Benedict XVI, making the first White House papal visit in nearly 30 years, pleaded Wednesday for a peaceful end to global disputes as thousands of joyful well-wishers sang him “happy birthday. “(AFP/Tim Sloan)