nyc.general

Pope Benedict XVI refused to meet US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in
August, saying he was on holiday, an Italian newspaper reported Wednesday.
Rice "made it known to the Vatican that she absolutely had to meet the pope"
to boost her diplomatic "credit" ahead of a trip to the Middle East, the
Corriere della Sera daily reported without citing its sources.

She was hoping to meet the pontiff at his summer residence of Castel
Gandolfo at the beginning of August, it said.

"'The pope is on holiday' was the official response," the paper said.

It said the reply "illustrated the divergence of view" between the Vatican
and the White House about the "initiatives of the Bush administration in the
Middle East."

The newspaper said the pope had rejected all meetings with political
representatives during August.

The Vatican press office refused to confirm the report.

US Ambassador to the Vatican Francis Rooney said relations between
Washington and the Holy See were close.

"Since the beginning of formal diplomatic relations in 1984, the US and the
Holy See have enjoyed a high level of cooperation on a wide array of
issues," he said in a statement.

"Our relationship remains strong today. Our working relationship is dynamic
and productive at all levels."