Catholic World News News Feature
Al Qaida denounces papal trip; Vatican officials unworried November 29, 2006
The international terrorist group Al Qaida has issued a statement condemning Pope Benedict's trip to Turkey, describing the papal voyage as a "crusader campaign against the lands of Islam." But Vatican officials said they were not frightened by any implicit threat.
"Neither the Pope nor his entourage are worried," Father Federico Lombardi assured reporters. The director of the Vatican press office said that message posted on several Islamic sites only underlined the necessity for initiatives like the Pope's trip.
"This type of message shows once again the urgency and importance of a common commitment against violence," the Vatican spokesman said. He observed that in his trip to Turkey, the Pope is encouraging leaders of all religious faiths to "say No to violence in God's name."
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