Pope and President enjoy frank discussion

BY STAFF REPORTER
POPE BENEDICT XVI has raised pro-life issues during a meeting with American President Barack Obama.
In addition to giving Mr Obama a copy of his latest encyclical, the Pope presented a copy of the recent Vatican document on biomedical ethics, Dignitas Personae.
When presenting the gifts after their 35-minute closed-door meeting the Pope gave Mr Obama a signed, white leather-bound copy of the encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, then indicated the instruction on bioethics issued last December by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
“Oh, what we discussed earlier,” said Mr Obama, referring to their closed-door discussions. “I will have some reading to do on the plane.” Mr Obama was given the instruction to help him better understand the Church’s position on bioethics, Mgr Georg Gänswein, the papal secretary, told journalists.
Mr Obama was saluted by a squad of Swiss Guards in the St Damasus Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace. American Archbishop James Harvey, prefect of the papal household, was the first to greet the President, and he accompanied Mr Obama to a meeting with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state.
Pope Benedict and Mr Obama sat at a desk in the papal library and discussed the G8 summit – the meeting of the world’s wealthy industrialised countries in L’Aquila, Italy. The summit focused on the economic crisis, climate change and global tensions.
Pope Benedict told the President: “You must be tired after all these discussions.” Mr Obama responded that the meetings were “very productive” and marked “great progress” and “something concrete”, although the precise topic they were discussing at that point was unclear.
The pair discussed issues that represent “a great challenge for the future of every nation and for the true progress of peoples, such as the defence and promotion of life and the right to abide by one’s conscience”, according to a Vatican statement released after the audience. They also discussed world issues addressed Continued on Page 3
President tells Pope he will reduce abortions
Continued from Page 1 at the G8 summit, as well as immigration and the issue of reuniting families, the Vatican statement said.
The meeting with the Pope and a separate 20-minute meeting with Cardinal Bertone also touched on international politics, such as the peace process in the Middle East, “on which there was general agreement”.
“Dialogue between cultures and religions, the global economic crisis and its ethical implications, food security, development aid – especially for Africa and Latin America – and the problem of drug trafficking” were discussed, the Vatican said.
“Finally, the importance of educating young people everywhere in the value of tolerance was highlighted,” it said.
At the end of the meeting, Pope Benedict told the President “A blessing on all your work and also for you.” The President responded: “Thank you very much. We look forward to building a strong relationship between our countries.” Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi told reporters after the audience that “great serenity and great cordiality” characterised the meeting.
Fr Lombardi said he spoke to the Pope after the meeting and the Pope “seemed extremely satisfied with how the meeting went”.
He said the Pope found Mr Obama to be “attentive and ready to listen”.
“The President explicitly expressed his commitment to reducing the numbers of abortions and to listen to the Church’s concerns on moral issues,” he said.