Bush, pope discuss Muslim majority's treatment of Christians in Iraq

ROME — President Bush, deeply unpopular here and met by boisterous protests, sought to impress Pope Benedict XVI and the Italian public on Saturday with his humanitarian record and downplayed differences with the Vatican over Iraq.

In his meeting with Bush, the Vatican said the pope raised "the worrisome situation in Iraq."

"He was concerned that the society that was evolving would not tolerate the Christian religion," Bush explained at a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi during the president's swing through Europe.

"He's worrisome about the Christians inside Iraq being mistreated by the Muslim majority."

Bush met with the prime minister several hours after his first sit-down with Benedict. Bush and Benedict appeared intent to look beyond their differences in Iraq.

The war was vigorously opposed by the late Pope John Paul II, and Benedict, in his Easter message, denounced the "continual slaughter" in Iraq and said that "nothing positive" is happening."

Bush said he assured the pope — whom he described as "very smart, loving man" — that the United States was working hard to ensure that the Iraqi people live up to their constitution in treating Christians fairly.

The president said their was no discussion of "just war," a Christian doctrine that says war must have a reasonable chance of success of not doing more harm than good. According to the doctrine, war must be a last resort, launched in response to unjust aggression and civilians must be safeguarded.

Bush arrived in Rome Friday night, after a stop in the Czech Republic, three days at a summit of industrialized democracies on Germany's northern coast, and a four-hour visit to Poland. A stomach ailment forced Bush to miss a few meetings at the summit in Germany.

He flashed a thumbs-up when asked he was better, though White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said the president still was "not 100 percent."

The president stays in Rome Saturday night before going on to Albania and Bulgaria.

The pontiff expressed his hope for a "regional" and "negotiated" solution of conflicts and crises that afflict the Middle East, the Vatican said. Bush hailed his humanitarian record.

"We talked about our attempts to help the people in Africa deal with HIV/AIDS and malaria and hunger," Bush said. "I reminded him that we've made a significant commitment to that end."