Pope and EC President Meet

AKI reports that on Friday, Pope Benedict XVI for the first time met with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. Responding to the Pipe’s concern about freedom of worship, Barroso said: "Freedom of religion is not negotiable, arises from the fundamental rights of people and communities, and is a cornerstone of European law. Mutual respect and understanding are our basic principle, along with democracy, dialogue and debate." They also discussed inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue, and the fight against poverty.