Pope greets families of Italians killed in Iraq one year ago

Published: 2004-11-17

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope John Paul II gave a special greeting to the families of the 19 Italians killed in Iraq a year ago when a car bomb exploded in an Italian military complex. In his Nov. 17 general audience at the Vatican, he honored the 17 military personnel and two civilians "who lost their lives at An Nasiriyah while carrying out their mission of peace." After the audience, the families greeted the pope and showed him the photographs of their sons, husbands, fathers or brothers who died when suicide attackers drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the Italian headquarters Nov. 12, 2003. Pope John Paul looked with interest, grasped hands and touched the heads of the children. Italy has some 2,700 troops in Iraq, the third-largest military presence, after the United States and England. The Italian government has said from the beginning of its engagement that theirs is a peacekeeping and not a combat mission.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .