Jordan's king says he hopes meeting with pope helps further dialogue

Published: 2005-09-13

ROME (CNS) -- Jordan's King Abdullah II said he hoped his meeting with Pope Benedict XVI would help further peaceful dialogue between Muslims and the Western world. The king and his wife, Queen Rania, visited the pope Sept. 12 in a private audience at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome. While the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, published a picture of the two men greeting each other inside the apostolic residence, the Vatican issued no statement on the substance or outcome of the meeting. According to Jordan's state news agency, Petra, the king's visit was part of a working tour aimed at fostering Muslim-Christian dialogue and helping "to clarify the true image of Islam which calls ... for establishing peace" all over the world. The following day at The Catholic University of America in Washington, King Abdullah said the pope "spoke of his respect for the Muslim people, and he reaffirmed the church's commitment to dialogue and peace."

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