Pope and Italians show disapproval of Bush

US President George Bush got a sharp dose of Europe’s opposition to his Iraq policy today, quietly in the halls of the Vatican from Pope John Paul II and loudly in the streets of Rome from thousands of demonstrators.

The ailing pontiff complained about recent “deplorable events,” an apparent reference to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US troops. In the absence of a commitment to shared human values, “neither war nor terrorism will ever be overcome,” he said, struggling to speak.