A condemnation of the violence that is affecting Iraq, including the Christian communities, and a wish that "the way to peace and development may be firmly found through dialogue and cooperation between all the ethnic and religious groups": this came up today from the meeting between Benedict XVI and Nouri Kamel Al-Maliki, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq, in the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo. The talks, according to a release from the Vatican Newsroom, "that have taken place in a friendly climate, reviewed some fundamental aspects of the Iraqi situation, looking at the regional context as well". Special attention, goes on the release, "was paid to the problem of the many Iraqi refugees inside and outside the country who need assistance, possibly with a view to a longed-for return home". (continued)
