quote:A meeting between right-of center Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Pope Benedict was cancelled Tuesday after Italy's left coalition accused the Vatican of trying to use influence the outcome of this spring's election.
The opposition leftist party of Romano Prodi is ahead in the polls and poised to win the election next month.
Prodi said the meeting between the Pope and Berlusconi, just weeks before the election, was little more than a photo-op for the conservative Prime Minister.
[...]
The meeting was condemned by other members of Prodi's coalition. Green Party leader Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio said that he respects "the right of the Church to address questions of values, but it is very serious to receive only one of the candidates for prime minister just ahead of the ballot."
Communist leader Fausto Bertinotti, whose party is also a member of the coalition called for the Vatican to cancel the meeting.
In the end it was Berlusconi who cancelled but he accused Prodi of playing politics.
[ 07 March 2006: Message edited by: Hephaestion ]
From: goodbye... :-( | Registered: Dec 2003
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lagatta
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2534
posted 10 March 2006 06:28 AM
Heph, I'm really glad the meeting between those TWO rats was cancelled, but it would be better to post this on the original Italian elections thread, here.
From: Se non ora, quando? | Registered: Apr 2002
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Hephaestion
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4795
posted 10 March 2006 08:28 AM
Consider it done, mon chat préféré... (be gentle, it's a bablefish translation )
From: goodbye... :-( | Registered: Dec 2003
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lagatta
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2534
posted 10 March 2006 09:07 AM
Oh Heph, I don't mind a little gender-bending - but we've already got Vladimir Luxuria on the other thread. Hope Vlad gets a lot of votes!
From: Se non ora, quando? | Registered: Apr 2002
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Email this thread to someone!
posted 07 March 2006 11:22 PM
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