Pope meets Italian prime minister, discusses public policies

Published: 2006-10-13

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI met Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi Oct. 13, discussing public policy issues of concern to the Catholic Church and international affairs. The meeting was Prodi's first audience with Pope Benedict since Prodi's center-left coalition won an April election. The Vatican press office issued a statement saying the pope and prime minister spoke about concerns in "the sphere of bioethics, the defense and promotion of life and of the family, solidarity, dialogue among religions and cultures, and the education of youth." While Prodi's government has not introduced any new legislation on the most sensitive topics, some members of his coalition have suggested easing Italy's restrictive abortion laws, permitting assisted suicide, expanding the use of the RU-486 abortion pill and granting official legal status to cohabiting couples.

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