Sun Jun 3, 3:19 PM ET
Pope Benedict XVI and US President George W. Bush will discuss the Iraq war when they meet next weekend, the Vatican's secretary of state said Sunday.
Tarcisio Bertone told Avvenire, a newspaper for Italian bishops, that the United States was "a great country" and praised Bush for his anti-abortion stance, but said problems remained.
"Such as the war in Iraq and also the dramatic situation for Iraqi Christians, which continues to get worse," he said.
Other topics would include the Middle East, "and the large ethical and social questions concerning people worldwide," said Bertone.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom recently decried a deterioration of religious freedom in Iraq due to sectarian violence, especially concerning Chaldo-Assyrian Christians.
Bush is to visit the Vatican on Saturday after attending a G8 summit in Germany.
He is also to meet with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and President Giorgio Napolitano in Rome.
Leftist and peace groups have organised demonstrations in Rome during the visit to protest against Bush's policies and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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