CWN - John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter explains why the September trip to Lebanon by Pope Benedict XVI will be a severe test of papal diplomacy.
The Vatican has carefully avoided taking sides in the escalating conflict between the Syrian government and rebel groups--a conflict that threatens to spill over into Lebanon. The Vatican supports the right of the Syrian people to secure justice, but opposes the involvement of foreign troops in a conflict that could upset Syria's tradition of religious pluralism.
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