The President, Mrs McAleese, today begins a three-day official visit to Rome during which she will have an audience with Pope John Paul II.
President McAleese will have an audience with the Pope at the Vatican tomorrow, followed by a meeting with His Excellency Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Secretary of State of the Holy See.
However, the main purpose of the her visit is to attend the celebrations for the 375th anniversary of the Pontifical Irish College.
Tomorrow evening, she will address the collegeconference Faith and Culture: Ireland and Europe, Yesterday and Today. She will also unveil a monument to Irish colleges in Europe.
On Friday, Mrs McAleese will meet with the Italian president, Mr Carlo Ciampi before attending an Irish community reception hosted by the Irish Ambassador to the Holy See.
She returns to Dublin on Saturday.