Pope Urges President Bush To Negotiate Solutions In Middle East Conflicts

Sunday, June 10, 2007

President Bush was ushered into the Vatican library, welcomed by the new Pope who has spoken out strongly during his first year, and not always kindly about the course of American policy.

While the deafening click of photographers lasted, the two made small talk about the recent G8 summit held in Pope Benedict's native Germany.

He brought an unusual gift to the Pontiff, a walking stick, carved he said by a former homeless artist in Texas, who carves scriptures and the Ten Commandments into the wood.

This fits with President Bush's effort to promote his own humanitarian agenda, he went on to meet with a global faith-based charity but canceled plans to visit their city headquarters.

The government of Italy held a second, more colorful welcome for the Bush's. The new Prime Minister Romano Prodi has proven friendlier than expected.

At a joint news conference President Bush thanked Italian troops on duty in Afghanistan, and revealed that Pope Benedict in their private talks worried about more than the U.S. military in Iraq.

About the time President Bush's last motorcade took him back to the U.S. embassy for the night, the street filled again, this time with protesters, police expected more than 50,000 demonstrating against the United States.

President Bush said, aside from Iraq, he and the Pope also discussed world hunger, aids, malaria and immigration in the United States.

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