A Christmas mass in St. Peter's Sq. Most of Vatican City's 109 acres is strictly off-limits except for the Sistine Chapel, the Basilica and museums.
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican is seen as the heart of the Christian world, but some also eye the international iconic symbol of Christianity (search) as a terror target.
"I think the Vatican has to be considered a target because Al Qaeda has said that the Vatican is a target," said Kishore Jayabalan, a former Vatican official, now of the Acton Institute. "One of the things the Vatican has tried to do is to downplay the differences between Islam and Christianity."
In the past, messages released by terrorists often express desire to attack Jews, Christians and Western countries. Some experts see this and the church's influence on Western Civilization as a sign of the Vatican's vulnerability.
But the Rev. John Wauck of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross Foundation is not convinced terrorists seek to bring down his religion.
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Rev. Armen Thomassian | 11/17/2015
