From ............ National Catholic Reporter

May 6, 1994

page 5

U.N., VATICAN RIFT HOLDS ON POPULATION

Unable to persuade the United Nations to change its preparatory document for the International Conference on Population and Development, Vatican officials turned their sights to the conference itself, set for Sept. 5-13 in Cairo, Egypt. Last-ditch efforts included a telephone call by Pope John Paul to President Bill Clinton on April 22.

The Vatican fought the draft document on several fronts. Speaking to those gathered in St. Peter's Square on April 17 for a noontime prayer, Pope John Paul said the draft document focused almost exclusively on limiting the number of births in the Third World without paying enough attention to economic development, a better sharing of the world's resources and the need to protect the religious and moral beliefs of families targeted by the population-control policies.

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