Pope goes abroad to Rome

Pope Benedict XVI (of The Vatican, a country unto itself) chose to make a visit to Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi in Rome. During last week’s meeting, the two discussed the recent outcome of the Italian referendum on artificial insemination and embryonic cell research.  Both agreed on the importance of the autonomy and independence of each state, though President Ciampi took a firm stand on the need for a secular state and the Pope insisted that the church should be able to intervene on “ethical” issues.