John Paul II and Benedict XVI
have said many times—that the
Church is evidently and above
all saddened by the suffering
of the victims and their families,
for the harm caused by the grave
and inexcusable behavior of some of its members, and is firm in its resolve to avoid future vile acts of this
kind.

Pope Benedict XVI lamented the
suffering of Christians in Iraq,
and their steady exodus from
that country, during a recent
conversation with an Iraqi
Orthodox leader.

The 21 South Koreans, members of a church, were captured by the
Taliban on July 19. Initially there were 23, but two has been killed.
The Pope observed that “the practice by armed groups of manipulating
innocent persons for promoting their own goals is becoming wide
spread.”

According to a story in the Irish
Independent, Pope John Paul II
enjoyed slipping away from Rome
for visits to the Italian
countryside, sometimes sleeping
on the ground outdoors to enjoy
the open air.

As a customary, the Pope was
presented with a gift. Bush chose to give the Pope a hand-carved
walking stick from Dallas resident
Roosevelt Wilkerson, a ninth-
grade dropout who was homeless until a few years ago.

In an effort to be more environmental, the Vatican has decided that it will begin to use solar energy in some of its buildings as of next year.

The Holy See has broken off an alliance with Amnesty International
"after its pro-abortion about-turn.”
The president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace said that the Holy See is ceasing donations to Amnesty International as a result of the group’s public advocacy for abortion. He urged Catholic donors to
reconsider gifts to the organization.

The couple, who is Catholic, went to ask prayers for their daughter who disappeared while the family was vacationing in Portugal.
The Vatican spokesperson said
when the couple expressed their desire to meet with Holy Father to ask for his prayers the Holy See was quick to say yes.

The British Secret Service, MI6, has published an alarming report
recently, revealing that some 200 million Christians in 60 countries
around the world are at a risk of suffering persecution.

Pope Benedict XVI issued an appeal to the leaders of the G8 industrial
nations during his public audience recently, urging wealthy nations “not to retreat from their promises” to provide aid to needy countries.