(17 Oct 2000) English/Nat
XFA
Pope John Paul II and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II shared their hopes for progress in Christian unity during a meeting Tuesday.
The Queen last visited the Vatican exactly 20 years ago and the meeting with the Pope
was expected to be the highlight of her four-day visit to Italy.
The two shook hands warmly as John Paul greeted the queen at the entrance to his private library.
The Queen, who was accompanied by Prince Philip of Edinburgh, said it was a great pleasure to see the Pope again, as both recalled that their last meeting was at Buckingham Palace in 1982.
They both had prepared speeches, but rather than read them they handed the texts to each other.
The Queen stressed progress made toward peace in Northern Ireland in the conflict involving Roman Catholics and Protestants and she expressed her thanks on behalf of the UK (United Kingdom) for the Pope's help and support in the peace process.
The Queen is temporal head of the Church of England, which had expressed concern over a document that the Vatican issued last month that stressed the primacy of the Roman Catholic church among Christian communities.
Her speech, however, emphasised progress made in recent years.
For his part, John Paul assured the Queen that there can be no turning back from the ecumenical goal.
England broke from the Roman Catholic Church with King Henry VIII in the 16th century.
British monarchs have been paying visits to popes since Edward VII in 1903.
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