Pope, Egyptian president discuss nuclear arms, religious tolerance

Published: 2006-03-14

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak March 13 to discuss the situation in the Middle East, tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear program and religious tolerance in Egypt, the Vatican said. Mubarak returned to Rome specifically to meet the pope at the end of a March 9-13 series of visits with European leaders. The president had met Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi March 9 in Rome, but could not meet the pope at the time because of the Vatican's annual Lenten retreat. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said Pope Benedict and Mubarak spent about half an hour together and began their meeting by discussing "the good relations between the Holy See and the Arab Republic of Egypt and the situation of interreligious relations in the country." The two spoke English and spent about 20 minutes together without aides present. "The meeting allowed them to review themes relative to the prospects for a stable peace in the Middle East," Navarro-Valls said. "There was a profound exchange of ideas about the situation in Iraq and also a look at issues regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran."

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