Father Lombardi said that he had spoken directly with the pope at least twice since Sunday and that Benedict had personally approved a statement he released on the condom question, indicating how adamant the pope was.
Russia's Parliament on Friday approved a statement holding Stalin responsible for ordering the 1940 murder of more than 20,000 Polish officers in a forest near the village of Katyn.
On Tuesday, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s executive committee approved a statement saying the court ruling "has seriously undermined enforcement of the law and made an already weak law more lopsided against workers exercising their rights".
The demonstrators also approved a statement opposing what they called the growing militarization of Russian society and restraints on press freedom.
All 15 Council members approved a statement condemning the nuclear test and pledging further action hours after North Korea carried out its third atomic blast on Feb. 12.
About a half-hour later, a United Nations spokesman announced that the council would meet on Sunday to approve a statement.
After vetoing two anti-Assad initiatives at the United Nations Security Council, on Thursday they joined the rest of the Council in approving a statement demanding immediate access for humanitarian workers.
In a sign of their concern, President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain took time to approve a joint statement on the subcontinent at their Camp David summit meeting on Iraq on March 27.
On Wednesday, it approved a social statement calling on Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregations to "welcome, care for, and support same-gender couples".
The diplomatic sources said Monday's meeting is also expected to approve a separate statement on Burundi deploring continued violence which has cost 120 lives, left thousands injured and displaced more than 190,000 people.
