Nicosia

NICOSIA, Cyprus - The Vatican said Sunday that the international community is ignoring the plight of Christians in the Middle East, and that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the war in Iraq and political instability in Lebanon have forced thousands to flee the region.

NICOSIA, Cyprus - Pope Benedict XVI has met with a Muslim leader on his pilgrimage to Cyprus, part of efforts to talk to both sides of the decades-old conflict on the island divided between ethnic Greeks and Turks.

NICOSIA, Cyprus - Pope Benedict XVI appealed Saturday for support for embattled Christian communities in the Middle East, calling them a vital force for peace in the region.