Fwd: EMERGENCY PRAYER REQUEST - Pope to Meet Saudi Monarch
antony_avemaria
wrote:
Dear Prayer Warriors,
Our prayers for this country is working miraculously at a speed that
no one,
who know the real situation, can imagine. Please continue to storm Heaven
that this meeting may bring forth desired result in removing all
impediments
to bring His Kingdom in this part of the world.
God Bless
Love & Prayers
Francis
Pope to Meet Saudi Monarch
AP
Posted: 2007-10-31 14:41:52
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah will meet Pope
Benedict XVI
on Tuesday in the first encounter between a pope and a Saudi monarch, the
Vatican said.
Abdullah is on a European tour and Benedict has been trying to increase
dialogue between Catholics and Muslims.
The pope also plans to meet the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual
leader, in
December, Italian news agencies reported Wednesday.
The Vatican and Saudi Arabia do not have diplomatic relations, but the
Holy
See has ties with many other Islamic nations.
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam that rejects the
possibility of diplomatic relations with a Christian entity. This
interpretation would prohibit a Vatican embassy in Saudi Arabia on the
grounds it would be equivalent to raising the cross inside the site of
Islam's holiest places.
It is forbidden to practice Christianity inside Saudi Arabia, and it is
illegal to bring symbols from religions other than Islam into the country.
Bibles and crosses, for instance, are confiscated at the border.
The Vatican has repeatedly stressed its demands for "reciprocity" -
meaning
that countries such as Saudi Arabia should ease limits on worship by
Christians and other non-Muslims.
Church relations with Muslims were badly strained last year after a speech
by the pontiff that linked Islam to violence. Benedict later said he
regretted that Muslims were offended by his remarks, and the Vatican has
since tried to improve relations with Muslims.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP
news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
10/31/07 14:39 EDT
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