Northern Ireland's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, yesterday visited the Pope in the Vatican, but the Unionist Party leader played down the importance of the occasion.
Asked what significance he attached to the meeting, Mr Trimble replied: "Well, none, I think. As I have said before on many occasions, the term `historic' has been much over-used. It was a courtesy call as part of the meeting of a number of Nobel Peace Prize laureates here. Of course, everyone recognises that the leader of a major religion has a significant contribution to make to efforts for peace around the world."
Mr Trimble was one of seven Nobel laureates to visit the Pope in a delegation led by the former Soviet president, Mr Mikhail Gorbachev. The laureates, who had been attending a two-day conference as guests of the mayor of Rome, heard the Pope renew his appeals for an end to the violence in Kosovo. Later they issued a statement calling for the "urgent solution of the Balkan crisis by accommodation" and an "immediate start of negotiations".
The Nobel Peace Prize winners included Northern Ireland's peace campaigner Ms Betty Williams, former South African president Mr F.W. de Klerk, former Israeli premier Mr Shimon Perez and Ms Rigoberta Menchu of Guatemala.
In a brief personal meeting with Pope John Paul, Mr Trimble said he had expressed the hope that peace could be secured in Northern Ireland in the course of this year.
"The Pope recalled his visit to Drogheda in the Irish Republic many years ago and we recalled that at that time, in his address, he urged people not to call murder by any other name, which I took to be a repudiation by him of those people who try to misuse religion to justify killing," the UUP leader said.
Mr Trimble said the Pope had demonstrated his keen understanding of the Northern Ireland situation by greeting him with the words: "You're British, aren't you?" Mr Trimble may have overestimated the Pope's alertness. He once asked Ronaldo: "So you play soccer, do you?" on being handed a Brazilian soccer jersey by the football star.
Mr Trimble was evidently anxious not to attach too much importance to his Vatican visit. Asked if it had been meaningful for him, he replied: "It was a very brief meeting."
Mr Trimble denied suggestions that he had requested that the meeting not be filmed. He also ruled out the idea that part of his unionist electorate might be outraged by his encounter with the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
"I think the Ulster Unionist electorate is remarkably mature in these matters and it much prefers to see a confident face of unionism and a willingness to carry our message to anyone in the world," he said.
Mr Trimble said he had been disappointed by the failure of both republican and loyalist paramilitaries to deliver on their obligations under the Belfast Agreement but he hoped there would soon be progress on this front. "In addressing this problem we have had the support of all the churches in Northern Ireland," he said.