Ahmadinejad thanks the Pope; calls for closer cooperation between Iran/Vatican

[steph1962]

Iran president thanks Pope for condemning Koran threat

October 7, 2010

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written to the Pope, thanking him for condemning an American pastor's threat to burn the Koran last month.

In his letter, Mr Ahmadinejad also called for closer co-operation between Iran and the Vatican.

Florida pastor Terry Jones was planning to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

He called it off after world leaders including US President Barack Obama and the Pope strongly condemned the plan.

The threat alone had sparked protests around the world.

President Ahmadinejad thanked Pope Benedict XVI for his stance in condemning a plan which he said "hurt the hearts of millions of Muslims".

The letter was delivered to the pontiff by the Iranian Vice President, Mohammad Reza Mirtajodini, and a copy of it is on the president's website.

Mr Ahmadinejad also called for "a close co-operation of divine religions to restrict destructive moves such as ignoring of religious teachings, influencing people to be materialistic, which were eroding human societies".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11492328

[steph1962]

Iran's president asks pope to join efforts against intolerance

October 7, 2010

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told Pope Benedict XVI that he would like to work more closely with the Vatican in an effort to stop religious intolerance and the breakup of families.

The president also appealed to world religions to cooperate in the fight against secularism and materialism, Iranian news agencies reported.

The appeals came in a letter that was handed to the pope by Iranian Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Sayyed Mohammad-Reza Mir-Tajeddini, during a brief meeting Oct. 6 at the Vatican.

Vatican spokesman Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi confirmed to Catholic News Service Oct. 7 that the letter was given to the pope and its contents already published by Iranian media outlets.

According to reports, the letter praised the pope and the Vatican for criticizing a U.S. pastor's threats to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11.

The Iranian president lamented people's disregard for religious teachings, which, he said, stemmed from ideologies such as "secularism, Western extremist humanism, and man's growing tendency toward material life."

Such ideologies have been on the rise, he said, and have "paved the way for the decline of human society."

"Therefore, close cooperation and interaction among divine religions to halt such destructive moves is an absolute necessity," his letter said.

Ahmadinejad called on religious believers to lead efforts in "establishing justice, uprooting oppression and overcoming discriminatory practices."

He also told the pope that Iran was willing to cooperate further with the Vatican in efforts to stop sacrilegious acts, the spread of religious intolerance and the destabilization of the family.

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/sto...ns/1004114.htm

[God's Trombone]

Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

[cricket55]

I would not beieve a word that he says.....

[TaliaKirana]

Iran's got an agenda in this.

[dianamanwaring]

I'm not trying to play "pin the tail on the anti-christ," but could this have implications as far as that person is concerned? Whoever that person is will come from the revived Roman empire.

[TheLordismytreasure]

Its amazing to see things falling in to place..............

The website also quoted the letter as denouncing "secularism, Western extremist humanism and the man's growing tendency toward material life" and blaming them for the "decline of human society."

"Close cooperation and interaction among divine religions to halt such destructive moves is an absolute necessity," the letter said, according to the website.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39592527...deastn_africa/