Catholic Church in Iran

Aside from some Iranian citizens, Catholics include foreigners in Iran like Spanish-speaking people (Latin Americans and Spanish), and other Europeans.

In October 2010, an Iranian official delivered a letter from President Ahmadinejad to Pope Benedict XVI in which the President said he hoped to work closely with the Holy See to help stem religious intolerance, the breakup of families and the increase of secularism and materialism.

A return letter from Pope Benedict was hand-delivered by Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, according to Passionist Father Reverend Ciro Benedettini, vice-director of the Vatican Press Office in a statement issued November 10, 2010.

Cardinal Tauran met with the Iranian leader while Tauran was participating in a three-day meeting on Islamic-Christian relations, along with Iranian Catholic leaders.

The meeting was a joint initiative of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Teheran-based Islamic Culture and Relations Organization.