Pope demands gov'ts protect Christian minorities
VATICAN CITY --
Pope Benedict XVI has demanded that governments do more to ensure Christians can practice their faith without discrimination or violence, in one of his most pointed appeals yet for religious freedom.
In a speech Monday to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican, Benedict cited recent attacks on Christians in Egypt, Iraq and Nigeria, and said governments must take effective measures - in law and in practice - to protect religious minorities.
He urged Pakistan to reverse its blasphemy laws, which carry the death sentence for insulting Islam, saying they were a pretext for violence against non-Muslims.
He urged governments on the Arabian peninsula to let Christians have churches.
And he cited China in calling for an end to a state's "monopoly" over the faith.
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