The American Spectator

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Weigel thinks there's no use for such speculation. He suggests instead that their conversation will focus on their shared concern for persecuted Christians in the Middle East, especially in Iraq, which is still recovering from the murder of the Chaldean archbishop Mosul Paulos Faraj Rahho.

George Neumayr, editor of Catholic World Report and a columnist for TAS, suggests that their conversation will follow up on Benedict's book on Europe, Without Roots, which Bush reportedly read and enjoyed.

Whatever the topic of their conversation, it is clear the President and the Pope have established a rapport that extends beyond matters of state. McGurn said that at the White House dinner for Catholic Leaders, Bush described the Church as "a rock in a raging sea."

For a president known for verbal gaffes, that's a surprisingly strong image. For a besieged and worn-down Methodist President who sees God in the eyes of the Pope, however, nothing too unusual.

topics:
Vladimir Putin, Business, Religion, Catholicism, Law, Iraq