Pope Benedict XVI was greeted by President Bush today at Andrews Air Force Base, a unique honor for a visiting head of state. (AP Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
by Mark Silva
President Bush and Pope Benedict XVI will have a lot to talk about during their private meeting in the Oval Office tomorrow, following a welcoming ceremony at the White House.
But don’t count on them talking too much about the war in Iraq, the White House says.
Reminded that the Pope, last year in his Easter message, had said, “Nothing positive comes from Iraq,” the White House was asked how Bush might address the subject.
“Well, they have a relationship that is based on trust and they are able to have frank conversations” White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said today. “I will say that while Iraq has come up in the past when the President has talked to the Pope, as I understand it, they’re not prolonged conversations about it. Obviously there was a difference of opinion back in 2003 and beyond, in subsequent years.
“But now I think that there is an understanding that with the strategy that’s working in Iraq right now, the most important thing we can do is help to solidify the situation, root it into freedom and democracy so that people of religious… faith who are minorities in their countries can practice freely and be free from persecution.
“That is something that they share,” she said. “I expect them to touch on that a little bit.”
So it’s a matter of agreeing to disagree and moving on? “I don’t think it will dominate the conversation in any way,” Perino said. “I really don’t think that the president is planning to spend a lot of time talking about the issues of Iraq with the Pope.”
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