VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 20, 2001 (Zenit.org).- The U.S. government has assured John Paul II that it will not invade Afghanistan or any Central Asian country before or during the papal trip to Kazakhstan and Armenia, the magazine Inside the Vatican reported.
The Pope hopes that his Sept. 22-25 visit Kazakhstan, a country with a Muslim majority, will promote dialogue between Christians and Muslims. He plans to be in Armenia, a country with a Christian majority, Sept. 25-27.
Inside the Vatican, which is published in English in Rome, quotes unidentified Vatican sources, explaining that, unless there are last-minute surprises, the Bush administration would not launch any attacks in the region, at least until the papal trip is over.
