In his first official visit to the Vatican, Archbishop Christodoulos, the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, asked Pope Benedict XVI to return a piece of the Parthenon held in the Vatican Museums, Greek officials said. According to spokesmen for Christodoulos, Benedict was a bit perplexed by the request, perhaps not knowing that the vast collection included a fragment of the ancient building. He said he would consider the request, they said. Greece has been campaigning for decades to get back all pieces of the Parthenon held in museums and private collections around the world. The two religious leaders signed a joint declaration that calls on all religious leaders to pursue and strengthen interreligious dialogue and calls on scientists to respect human life “from conception to natural death.”