ROME, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI held a private audience Monday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the pontiff's summer residence outside Rome.
Merkel said she and the pope discussed topics including the conflict in the Middle East and Iran's nuclear program during their hourlong conversation, Deutsche Welle reported Monday.
"We had a very intense exchange on world politics, especially on the Middle East, but also on how the international community should deal with Iran," Merkel said.
The chancellor said she told the pope of her "joy" at his upcoming visit to the country.
"I was longing to pay this visit to the pope before he comes to Germany in September," she said before the visit. "I'm very glad that it will happen now. The pope is a great leader of Christianity to which my protestant faith also belongs. But I'm also here to express the respect of all Germans, which I represent as German chancellor."
