VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- The Vatican has announced that the papal nuncio in the United States, Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, is ready to work with authorities in Washington to secure the peaceful return of Elian Gonzales to his Cuban father.

    The Holy See revealed on April 13 that US President Bill Clinton had asked for help in the battle for custody of the 6-year-old Cuban boy, who has been staying with relatives in Miami. "At the request of the American administration," the Vatican press office announced, the papal nunciature has also been made available as a possible site for negotiations. Since the nunciature is neutral territory, some observers have indicated that it might be a favorable site for discussions between the father of Elian Gonzales and the relatives in Miami who have refused to return the boy to Cuba.