IN THE SHADOW OF ST. PETER’S.

Jose Modolo from the Pontifical Gregorian University shoots during the first match of the Clericus Cup tournament in Rome Feb. 24. Seminarians from 50 countries studying in Rome were competing in the new soccer tournament, which will conclude in July.

Iran: Relations With the Vatican Are Excellent

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said relations between the Islamic Republic and the Vatican are extremely good, and that “dialogue between Islam and Christianity continue in the name of the principles shared by the two faiths,” reported the news service AKI.

Last December, Mottaki personally delivered to the Vatican a message by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the Pope.

Pope Condemns Human Genetic Engineering

Pope Benedict condemned the “obsessive search” in developed countries for the “perfect child” through genetic engineering and extensive eugenics methods, Reuters reported. The Holy Father told the Pontifical Academy for Life, a Church body of experts, that the right to life was increasingly under attack in the world, citing pressures to legalize abortion in Latin America, and euthanasia in the richest countries.