Visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari vowed that his country would protect religious freedom, particularly the Iraqi Christian community, during a meeting with Pope John Paul II, a Vatican spokesman said.
"The minister thanked his holiness and his aides for the support they have always given to Iraq and expressed his government's commitment to the promotion of religious freedom and in particularly the defense of Christian communities," said a communique released by Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls after the meeting.
Zebari also met the Vatican's number two official, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, for talks which centered on current developments in Iraq and the Middle East.
The two sides "once again deplored the painful scourge of terrorism, pressing for a rapid return to respect of moral values which are the foundation of any civilization," the spokesman said.
Zebari later told a press conference in Rome that human rights and religious freedom "will have to be enshrined in the new Iraqi constitution."
He also expressed appreciation for "the contribution the moral authority of the pontiff and the Roman Catholic Church can make to the pacification of Iraq."