The Vatican is studying the possibility of creating a bilateral commission to improve relations and understanding between the Catholic Church and Iran, Pope Benedict XVI said on Friday. In an address to visiting Iranian bishops, the pope first described the "difficult mission" of priests and other religious figures in Iran in reaching Christian communities in the Middle Eastern nation, according to a text of his remarks in French.
"To overcome this concrete difficulty and others, the formation of a bilateral commission with your authorities is being studied to also develop relations and mutual understanding between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Catholic Church," he said. Doing so, Benedict said, would "better realise the Church's mission in an atmosphere of mutual respect and for the good of everyone," he said.