Monday, June 20, 2005
B16 is on his way to El Salvador?
Vatican, Jun. 20 (CWNews.com) - President Antonio Saca Gonzalez of El Salvador met with Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) at the Vatican on June 18, and issued an invitation for the Pontiff to visit the Latin American country.
The two men met privately for about 30 minutes in the papal apartments before their formal exchange of greetings. The conversation, which was described as "very cordial" was held in Spanish.
President Saca was elected in June 2004 to lead the predominantly Catholic country, which was the site of a bloody civil war in the 1980s. Tensions between the military regime and the Catholic hierarchy in El Salvador culminated in March 1980 when Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador, an outspoken champion of the "preferential option for the poor," was assassinated in his cathedral by death squads; government troops fired into the crowd at his funeral, claiming dozens of new victims.
The two men met privately for about 30 minutes in the papal apartments before their formal exchange of greetings. The conversation, which was described as "very cordial" was held in Spanish.
President Saca was elected in June 2004 to lead the predominantly Catholic country, which was the site of a bloody civil war in the 1980s. Tensions between the military regime and the Catholic hierarchy in El Salvador culminated in March 1980 when Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador, an outspoken champion of the "preferential option for the poor," was assassinated in his cathedral by death squads; government troops fired into the crowd at his funeral, claiming dozens of new victims.
