Iranian president praises Vatican's justice efforts, says newspaper

Published: 2008-04-28

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad praised the Vatican's efforts to remedy injustices around the world, according to the April 29 edition of the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. Because Catholics and Muslims together total nearly one-third of the world's population, both faiths should feel responsible for the future of humanity, he said. Ahmadinejad said the Iranian government appreciated the commitment of Pope Benedict XVI and the Vatican against injustices such as war, poverty and the trampling of human rights. The Iranian leader's remarks came during an April 6 ceremony in the presidential palace in Tehran in which Archbishop Jean-Paul Gobel presented his letters of credential as apostolic nuncio to Iran. Archbishop Gobel relayed Pope Benedict's greetings to the president and all the people of Iran.

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