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Catholic World News News Feature

Islamic envoys to meet with Pope September 22, 2006

Pope Benedict XVI will meet on September 25 with envoys from Islamic countries, and representatives of Muslim groups in Italy, to discuss protests generated by the Pope's speech earlier this month in Regensburg.

Confirming reports that had circulated earlier this week, the Vatican announced that ambassadors from countries with Islamic majorities would be invited to Castel Gandolfo for a meeting with the Pontiff, to be held at 11:45. Leading Muslims in Italy-- including Abdellah Radouani, the head of the mosque in Rome-- have been included in the invitation.

Cardinal Paul Poupard, the president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, will also attend, with other Vatican officials likely to participate as well.

Informed Vatican sources had reported that soon after the Regensburg address, when protests began in Islamic countries, representatives of the Holy See begin quietly contacting diplomats from those countries, working to set up a meeting at which the Pope's speech and the public response could be discussed. The September 25 meeting is the result of those diplomatic initiatives.