ROME (CNS) --- Two Turks hijacked a plane en route from Albania to Istanbul to protest Pope Benedict XVI's planned visit to their country in November.

After the Turkish Airlines flight carrying 113 passengers landed Oct. 3 in the southern Italian city of Brindisi, the hijackers had said they were prepared to surrender but wanted a message delivered to the pope, according to Italian wire services. The hijackers surrendered, and a passenger told Turkish television that one of the hijackers waved and apologized to the passengers, The Associated Press reported.

The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, told Catholic News Service that the Vatican was following developments closely. He said the incident had not prompted reconsideration of the pope's visit, scheduled for Nov. 28-Dec. 1; it would be the pope's first visit to a predominantly Muslim country.

In September at the University of Regensburg, Germany, the pope gave a speech in which his remarks on Islam caused widespread indignation among Muslims. Some of the harshest comments came from Turkey. The pope several times expressed his regret that his comments had caused offense, and he held an audience with Muslim representatives to explain his position and reaffirm his deep respect for Islam and its followers.

Pope calls for 'dignified living conditions' for people in slums
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) --- Pope Benedict XVI called for "dignified living conditions" for people living in slums and ghettos. After praying the noonday Angelus Oct. 1, the pope reminded pilgrims gathered in the courtyard of his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, that Oct. 2 marked World Habitat Day. The United Nations established the day to highlight the importance of city management and an individual's right to adequate shelter. This year's theme was "Cities: Magnets of Hope." The pope said that dealing with the rapid growth of cities and the increase of people moving into urban areas "represents one of the most serious problems that humanity of the 21st century is called to face." He encouraged all those who work on urban management to help ensure that "people living in degraded neighborhoods be guaranteed dignified living conditions, the fulfillment of their basic needs and the possibility of achieving their dreams," especially concerning family life and "peaceful coexistence" in society.

Church has no political role in Cuba with Castro sick, say leaders
WASHINGTON (CNS) --- The Cuban church's role in national life after President Fidel Castro relinquished power is not to be political but to accompany the people wherever the future leads, said two Cuban Catholic leaders. "I don't think the people see the church as a political player. Nor has the church presented itself as a political player," said Orlando Marquez Hidalgo, spokesman for the Cuban bishops' conference. Father Rene Ruiz Reyes, Havana archdiocesan delegate to the bishops' National Commission for Priests, said that "the mission of the church is to accompany the people along the road" at a time when no one in the Caribbean island country can predict the future. Both Cubans were interviewed by Catholic News Service Sept. 29 while in Washington to meet with officials of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. They were part of an 18-member delegation of Cuban priests and laypeople who initially arrived in the U.S. to attend a Sept. 18-21 gathering in Miami with Cuban Catholics living in the U.S.

Cardinal George reflects on health, life and eternity
CHICAGO (CNS) --- Nearly two months after having his cancerous bladder removed, Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago spent several hours Sept. 25 and 26 meeting with members of the media in advance of resuming his public schedule Oct. 1. The cardinal said he is doing well and no longer experiencing pain from the July 27 surgery, which included removing his bladder and using a section of bowel to create a new bladder. Doctors did a second operation late that night after discovering he was still bleeding internally. Cardinal George, 69, acknowledged that for a period of several hours following the first surgery he believed he was dying --- a thought that did not frighten him. "The important thing when you die is to be ready to surrender your whole life to the Lord," he said. "When you've done that, when you've given the Lord your life, that brings a certain peace. After that, it's up to the Lord to take care of you, and he will. That's his end of the bargain." And, while being in pain makes it difficult to think, Cardinal George said he could feel the prayers thousands of people were saying for him.