South African Press Association - May 6, 2005

'The Holy Father underlined the role the Republic of South Africa can play as a factor of peace on all the continent,' Vatican spokesperson Joaquin Navarro-Valls said after the pontiff and Mbeki met for 15 minutes in the Apostolic Palace.

No specific conflicts were identified in the spokesperson's statement.

Benedict has said he wants to use his new papacy to further peace and reconciliation in the world.

While Mbeki has had only limited success so far, he is the person Africa and the West have repeatedly sought out to help broker peace pacts on the continent.

Among the conflicts he has worked on are the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which involved six African countries; Burundi's civil war; the crisis in Darfur, Sudan; fighting in C|te d'Ivoire; and the Eritrea-Ethiopia border war.

'Welcome, Mr President, nice to see you,' Benedict told the African leader in English. Mbeki was accompanied by his wife and 10 other people in his delegation.

Benedict took both the president's hands and ushered him into his office, where the two men sat at a big oak table to talk.

Navarro-Valls said Benedict also 'underlined the responsibility of the church in promoting moral values' in South Africa and in the world.

The spokesperson didn't elaborate, but one burning social and moral issue in South Africa has been how to combat Aids.

Mbeki's government has been criticised for its sluggish response to the Aids crisis in South Africa.

The Vatican also has been criticised on Aids because of its ban on using condoms, especially by those who advocate condom use as a way to help combat the spread of the HIV virus.

Catholic teaching holds that sexual abstinence is the best way to fight the spread of Aids.

In the public part of their meeting at the Vatican, both sides were very cordial, with Benedict taking a moment to greet the South African journalists who were covering Mbeki.

'You are very important people. God bless your work,' the pope told them.

One of the journalists, TV reporter Miranda Strydom, said she asked the pope to 'pray for our continent because we are working very hard'.

She said Benedict replied: 'I will do it, and you always pray for me.'

Mbeki was making a two-day visit to Italy that also included talks with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

In April, Mbeki congratulated Benedict on his election as pontiff, saying he is convinced that the Roman Catholic Church will remain a 'powerful ally' against racism and in the 'fight for a better Africa and a better world'.The appointment with Mbeki was part of a busy week for the new pope. On Saturday, he will visit two basilicas in Rome, St. John Lateran and St Mary Major.

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