Meeting on February 28 with the president of the European Parliament,
Pope Benedict XVI underlined the importance of “promoting religious
freedom and the protection of Christian minorities in the world.”
The Pope’s message to Jerzey Buzek echoed a theme that has been raised
by a number of Church leaders in recent weeks.
The European Union, faced
with a resolution that forthrightly condemned the persecution of
Christians, opted for a more general statement calling for respect for
all faiths.