Lebanon PM invites Pope to visit,
discusses Syria tensions during
meetings at the Vatican
[The Mikatis with the Pope - an Advent wreath in the foreground.
VATICAN CITY, Nov. 28 (AP) — Lebanon’s Prime Minister has invited Pope Benedict XVI to visit his country, which the Vatican sees as an important symbol of religious coexistence in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with Benedict for about 20 minutes Monday during an overnight visit to Rome that also included talks with the new Italian foreign minister.
The Vatican said the discussions touched on the crisis in Syria and “the need for all parties to commit themselves to peaceful coexistence founded on justice, reconciliation and respect for the dignity of human beings and their inalienable rights.”
Members of Mikati’s delegation said he extended an invitation to Benedict to visit Lebanon. There was no word from the Vatican, but such a trip has been rumored.
Not a usual sight at a Papal audience, but Benedict XVI obviously enjoys moments like this.
And hat tip to Angela Ambrogetti for having 'scooped' her male colleague in the Vatican press corps last week on the probability of a papal visit to Lebanon next year.... Now let's wait and see what develops on the Ukraine, the third trip abroad in 2012 that Ambrogetti presents as a probability... Meanwhile, it seems that a papal trip to Mexico and Cuba in 2012 is all but certain. Here's an update from one of the officials involved in the planning...
Nuncio says Benedict XVI is sure to address Mexico's
alarming levels of violence when he visits in 2012]
VATICAN CITY, Nov. 28 (CNS) -- Mexico's high level of violence is of deep concern and will surely be addressed by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to the country next year, said a Vatican official.
The Vatican missionary news agency Fides reported that during a news conference in Merida, Mexico on Nov. 22, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to Mexico, said the Pope's visit will provide hope for the country and bring a message of "peace and encouragement" to people suffering from violence.
The Vatican recently announced that a papal trip to Mexico and Cuba for the spring of 2012 was in the advanced planning stages.
"The Pope will bring us courage in these difficult times, in order to have the strength to fight against violence and help us unite for peace," the archbishop said. He said violence in Mexico was a matter of concern for the Church, government leaders and the entire country.
Mexico has experienced a dramatic increase in violence related to organized crime in recent years. From 2007 to 2010, 34,550 killings were linked to organized crime compared to about 8,900 such killings from 2000 to 2006, according to government data.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 28/11/2011 23:19]