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Wednesday, June 2, 2004

It will be Bush's third meeting with Pope John Paul II, and his first since the United States launched a war against Iraq, of which John Paul was a staunch opponent.

"The president is always welcome, as on other occasions," papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told The Associated Press. "The agenda is open, and Iraq is not the only issue they will discuss."

Several Vatican officials have recently issued sharp criticism of the Bush administration's actions leading up to the war and the scandal of prisoner abuses by U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

Navarro-Valls stressed that though the pope opposed the war in Iraq, "as he opposes all wars," the Vatican intended to be "forward-looking" and supported efforts for restoring a sovereign government.

The administration has sent a series of officials to the Vatican on fence-mending visits, most recently Vice President Dick Cheney in January.

The U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, James Nicholson, said he expected Bush and the pope "will have a very meaningful exchange on Iraq, the Middle East and terrorism" and said John Paul was "very supportive of our efforts" to combat the terrorist threat.

"We have worked closely together on humanitarian relief. We want Iraq to be a sovereign, self-governing country that maintains freedom," Nicholson said.

Bush is traveling to Europe to take part in commemorations of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Rome and the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landing in Normandy, France.

Bush, who has courted Catholic voters in the United States, changed his travel plans for the visit, moving up his arrival to enable him to meet with the 84-year-old pontiff. John Paul departs Saturday morning on a two-day pilgrimage to Switzerland.

Which One Is the 'Catholic'?

The president is closer to the Vatican on several hot-button issues than is his Democrat opponent, John Kerry, who is Roman Catholic.

Kerry said he supported state-sanctioned civil unions for same-sex couples to afford them equal rights under the law. He opposes a proposed amendment to the Constitution, backed by Bush, that would ban gay marriage nationally.

Kerry supports abortion rights, whereas Bush supports abortion only in cases of rape or incest or when a woman's life is endangered.

Recently, Nicholson sought clarification from the Vatican's foreign minister, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, who told an Italian newspaper the prisoner abuse scandal dealt a bigger blow to the United States than the Sept. 11 attacks.

In a speech last week, John Paul condemned instances of torture around the world but did not mention any specific country.

Nicholson said he also expected discussions to combat HIV/AIDS and trafficking in humans and efforts to promote religious freedom.

© 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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