Plans by a small evangelical church in Gainesville, Florida, to publicly burn copies of the Koran represent "an outrageous and grave gesture", the Vatican's interreligious council has said.
The minister at the Florida church said that despite worldwide condemnation of the plan, he would host an "International Burn-a-Koran Day" on September 11, the ninth anniversary of terrorist attacks on the United States at the hands of Islamic extremists.
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue said in a written statement that "it received with great concern the news of the proposed 'Koran Burning Day'."
