[Catholic News Service] Judith Sudilovsky - Israeli and Vatican officials denied reports that Israeli President Shimon Peres had asked the government to relinquish sovereignty over several holy places as a gesture of good will for Pope Benedict XVI. A spokeswoman for the president's office said Israel already has pledged to the Vatican that it will not confiscate land around six Christian sites for any sort of national development purpose such as the widening of roads. She said Peres had asked the Tourism and Interior ministries, as a gesture of good will before the pope's May 8-15 trip to the Holy Land, to confirm the pledge.
2009-05-08 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive