Ichida offers condolences over Pope's death

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi on April 4 visited the Apostolic Nunciature in Japan in Tokyo to offer condolences to Charge d'Affaires Leon Kalenga on the death of Pope John Paul II.

The Holy See charg?d'affaires said that the Pope made efforts to promote peace and eradicate poverty in the world. Ichida in response stated, "We have respect for Pope John Paul II's efforts in attaching great importance to communication with other faiths and between different cultures, and contributing to world peace by calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons as well as his opposition to the Iraq war." (end)