WASHINGTON (JTA) — U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi raised Israel in her discussions with Pope Benedict XVI.
Pelosi (D-Calif), a Roman Catholic, and her husband, Paul, met Wednesday with the pope in Rome.
"In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the Church’s leadership in fighting poverty, hunger and global warming, as well as the Holy Father’s dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel," her office said in a statement.
The pope’s plans to visit the Holy Land in May have been beset by his decision last month to readmit into the church an archconservative bishop who has denied the Holocaust.
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