-- King Abdullah held a historic meeting yesterday with Pope Benedict XVI and called for dialogue between Muslims, Christians and Jews in order to promote peace, justice and moral values.

The warmth exuded by the two leaders on a chilly morning set the tone for the day. Greeting the king with a smile, the pope was effusive and eloquent in his actions as he warmly welcomed the Saudi monarch. The two leaders clasped hands on meeting and smiled before embarking on their historic talks.

The king and the pope held talks for about 60 minutes in the pontiff’s library with the help of interpreters. Benedict spoke in Italian and the king in Arabic. The Vatican said the meeting was cordial.

During the meeting, King Abdullah emphasized that dialogue between religions and cultures was essential in order to promote tolerance, get rid of violence and achieve peace and security for all peoples.

The Vatican talks assume great importance as King Abdullah met the pope, the leader of Roman Catholics, as custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

“This is a historic meeting. It provides an opportunity for a meaningful Muslim-Christian dialogue,” said an Italian observer. An Italian woman, who has been a Vatican observer for years, said: “The pope is viewed as a conservative right-wing person. Though he is dogmatic, it should be noted that he did oppose the war in Iraq.”

Several people in the media were of the view that it is important to maintain the lines of communication at the highest level so that no misunderstanding can occur. An Italian banker said: “This meeting will go a long way to removing misconception that people of both faiths have about each other.” Abdullah, who is the first Saudi king to have an audience with a pope, has emphasized the need for an international cultural dialogue to eradicate malicious thoughts. He also urged Italy to play a greater role in resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. The king and the pope emphasized the need for interfaith and intercultural dialogue among Christians, Muslims and Jews “for the promotion of peace, justice and spiritual and moral values, especially in support of the family,” the Vatican said.

Both sides also emphasized the need for a “just solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“Views were exchanged on the situation in the Middle East and on the need to find a just solution to the conflicts affecting the region, especially that between Israelis and Palestinians,” the Vatican added.

King Abdullah and Pope Benedict also stressed that violence and terrorism have no religion or nation. “All countries and peoples should work together to eradicate terrorism,” they added.

Benedict has said he wants to reach out to all countries that do not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See. The Vatican’s official newspaper L’Osservatore Romano said the Vatican hoped the meeting would produce a frank dialogue between the two sides. There are hundreds of thousands of Christian guest workers in Saudi Arabia.

Abdullah, who arrived in Rome on Monday on the second leg of a European tour, also met separately with the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Abdullah had visited the Vatican twice before as crown prince and deputy prime minister.

At the end of the meeting, Abdullah presented Benedict with a traditional Middle Eastern gift — a golden sword studded with jewels — as well as a gold and silver statue of a palm tree and a man riding a camel. The king received a 16th-century engraving of the Vatican from the pope.

Benedict sparked anger in the Muslim world in September last year when he delivered a speech which was interpreted as linking Islam to violence. He said he was misunderstood and regretted offending Muslims. Since then, he has met a number of Islamic leaders and a year ago visited predominantly Muslim Turkey. The Vatican has said it wants to pursue a dialogue with moderate Muslims.

“The Vatican authorities expressed their hope for the prosperity of all the inhabitants of the country (Saudi Arabia), and mention was made of the positive and industrious presence of Christians,” the Vatican statement said.

L’Osservatore Romano in an article published ahead of the meeting said the spirit of the talks could be best summed up with the words: “Know each other, know each other, know each other. Each one of us has always something to learn from someone else.”

Yesterday’s meeting came just weeks after 138 Muslim clerics and intellectuals wrote a letter to Benedict and other Christian leaders, urging greater understanding and respect between Muslims and Christians.

Arab News