A top Vatican official met with
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Teheran and gave him a letter
from Pope Benedict XVI, a Vatican spokesman said.
The letter was hand-delivered in Teheran Nov. 9 by Cardinal Jean-Louis
Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue,
said Passionist Father Ciro Benedettini, vice-director of the Vatican
press office Nov. 10.
Cardinal Tauran met personally with the Iranian leader while the Vatican
official was participating in a three-day meeting regarding
Muslim-Christian relations. The meeting, a joint initiative of the
Vatican interreligious council and the Teheran-based Islamic Culture and
Relations Organization, included leaders of the local Catholic church.
In October, an Iranian official delivered a letter from Ahmadinejad to
Pope Benedict in which the president said he hoped to work closely with
the Vatican to help stem religious intolerance, the break up of families
and the increase of secularism and materialism.
On that occasion, the contents of the letter were released by Iranian news agencies.
Father Benedettini did not disclose the contents of the letter from Pope Benedict.
SIC: CNS/INT'L