Benedict XVI met with the president of Sri Lanka and has asked him not to hinder the religious freedom of the Catholic Church in this predominantly Buddhist country where Christians make up only 6 percent of the population.


Sri Lanka's parliament is considering a law banning religious conversions "it deems fraudulent," which could open the door to many abuses.

The two leaders discussed Sri Lanka's situation, which has experienced 20 years of civil war. The Pope has asked him to help the civilian population and to pursue the path of dialogue to find solutions.