British Prime Minister Tony Blair had an audience today with Pope John Paul, one of the most outspoken opponents of a war.
The 82-year-old pope received Mr Blair for the first time this morning in a private audience, the Vatican said in a statement without providing any details.
During his visit to Rome Mr Blair has tried to emphasise common ground between them, saying the pontiff is "reluctant to go to war except as a last resort. That is our position".
"I obviously know the views of the pope and they are very clear," he said yesterday when asked about the upcoming audience. "But there is a moral dimension to this question too. If we fail to disarm Saddam peacefully, then where does that leave the authority of the United Nations?".
The Vatican, however, has refused to bless a possible US-led attack on Iraq as a "just war". The pope, who has also received U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz in recent weeks, has said he believes a conflict in Iraq could unleash terrorism and kill civilians.