Iran's President Mohammad Khatami today offered his official condolences to Roman Catholics on the death of Pope John Paul II. In a message carried by state news agency IRNA, Khatami expressed sorrow over the pope's demise and described him as "a great man of religious mysticism, philosophical contemplations and poetic creations".
He also said the pontiff had carried out great efforts to make truth, justice and peace overwhelming values in the world.
Khatami, a Shiite Moslem, expressed hope the Catholic leadership would help promote a more prosperous and fair life in the world by following the teachings of Jesus Christ and carrying out dialogues with other religious and political world leaders
