The Vatican on Tuesday spoke out against an American evangelical pastor's plan to burn copies of the Koran to commemorate the 11 Sept. terrorist attacks which killed about 3,000 people calling it "an outrageous and grave gesture.''

"These deplorable acts of violence, in fact, cannot be counteracted by an outrageous and grave gesture against a book considered sacred by a religious community," the Vatican's interfaith body said statement.

"Each religion, with its respective sacred books, places of worship and symbols, has the right to respect and protection," said the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Affairs

AKI