POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT ARAFAT OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

VATICAN CITY, OCT 30, 2001 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls released the following declaration this morning:

"The Holy Father received today Yasser Arafat, president of the Palestinian Authority, who came to report on the worrying situation in the Palestinian territories, with particular reference to the recent tragic events concerning the holy places of Christianity as well. The president made known, furthermore, the desire for peace of the Palestinian people, condemning also every form of terrorism.

"His Holiness, in expressing his sorrow for the numerous victims of the endless spiral of violence, renewed his appeal for everyone to abandon arms and to renew negotiations. The Holy Father repeated the well-known position of the Holy See which favors dialogue, the fulfillment of international law, without forgetting the necessary duty of the international community to ensure the peoples of the region reciprocal respect and safety for all."

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