Wednesday, February 15, 2012

What if the Pope visited Iran?

The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had invited Benedict XVI to visit the Country a while back and Iran’s ambassador has renewed the invitation.

However they have also warned the Holy See “Not to interfere in Syrian affairs.”

“If the Holy Father decides to undertake this journey, we will be ready to give him an excellent and enthusiastic welcome,” said Ali Akbar Maseri, Iranian ambassador to the Holy See.

The Iranian President sent the invitation back in November 2010, when Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, came to Teheran on the occasion of the seventh meeting for dialogue between the Holy See and Iran,” the diplomat explained.

During the meeting, the cardinal even passed on a personal message from the Pope to Ahmadinejad. 

Ambassador Naseri pointed out that Iran and the Holy See had been cultivating “very sincere and cordial” relations for a long time now. 

They collaborate on cultural and scientific issues and are engaged in an interreligious dialogue that is split into bi-annual meetings. The next one will take place in October, in Rome.

The situation in Syria “needs to be handled by the people without foreign states meddling in Iran’s affairs,” said Ambassador Ali Akbar Naseri. 

The cleric explained that “the Syrian Government must also respond to the legitimate expectations and aspirations of its own people. But I think that other Countries’ meddling would only complicate the situation for the Syrian people who need to resolve their own problems.”

In terms of the hundreds of deaths that have reportedly taken place in Syria, “we cannot accept people being killed, but we must bear in mind that in Syria there are factions and armed groups that come from across the border. In Damascus and Aleppo demonstrations have been taking place in support of President Assad, though requests have been put forward for certain problems to be resolved, but without foreign meddling.”