STATEMENT ON INTER-RELIGIOUS DELEGATION FROM INDONESIA

VATICAN CITY, FEB 20, 2003 (VIS) - The following declaration was made this afternoon by Joaquin Navarro-Valls, director of the Holy See Press Office, on the visit to the Pope today by an inter-religious delegation from Indonesia:

"This morning a delegation from the 'Gerakan Moral Nasional Indonesia' organization, made up of the heads of all religions present in Indonesia, was received in audience by the Holy Father, to whom they turned over a 'Statement of Concerns' regarding the Iraqi crisis.

"Beyond an exchange of opinions on the evolution of the religious situation in Indonesia and Asia, the members of the delegation appealed to the Holy See to continue and to intensify its diplomatic efforts so that all interested parties might find a just and peaceful solution to the present Iraqi crisis, based on the humanitarian and moral principles shared by all the religions of the world."

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