Pope Benedict has announced a special meeting of bishops next year todiscuss Middle East peace efforts and the role of the Catholic Churchin the region.

In comments Saturday to Roman Catholic Churchleaders, the pope said the meeting will take place in October of nextyear (October 10-14, 2010).

He said the meeting will be titled, "The Catholic Church in the Middle East: communion and witness."

Thepope and the Vatican have long been active on the Middle Eastdiplomatic front, seeking to protect Christians in the Holy Land andelsewhere in the Muslim-dominated region.

During a pilgrimage tothe Holy Land in May, Pope Benedict focused on building bridges betweenChristianity, Islam and Judaism. At times in the past, Pope Benedicthas drawn criticism from members of the other faiths.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.