Pope: Guarantee religious freedom.

Catholics have been present in Iran from the first centuries of Christianity and have always been an integral part of the nations life and culture. This is what Benedict XVI recalled in his speech to Ali Akbar Naseri, new Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who was received in audience on October 29th.The Holy See, the Pope said, trusts the Iranian authorities to strengthen and guarantee Christians the freedom of professing their faith and of assuring the Catholic community conditions essential to its existence, because Christians in this country are full Iranian citizens.Benedict XVI also underlined that Iran possesses eminent spiritual traditions and that this can be reason to hope for a gr ...