CARDINAL ETCHEGARAY, PAPAL ENVOY, DEPARTS FOR IRAQ

VATICAN CITY, FEB 9, 2003 (VIS) - Joaquin Navarro-Valls, director of the Holy See Press Office, made the following statement today to journalists:

"Tomorrow, Monday February 10, 2003, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, will depart for Baghdad as a special envoy of His Holiness John Paul II, accompanied by Mons. Franco Coppola, nunciature councillor in service to the Secretariat of State.

"The purpose of the Pontifical Mission is to demonstrate to everyone the Holy Father's concern for peace and to help the Iraqi authorities to seriously reflect on their commitment to effective international cooperation, based on justice and international law, in view of assuring the supreme good of peace to their population."

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