Pope Benedict XVI made history today by becoming the first pontiff to visit the Archbishop of Canterbury's London residence Lambeth Palace.
He was welcomed to the palace by Archbishop Rowan Williams. The men met privately before the only ecumenical service of the state visit, which is being held at Westminster Abbey.
The role of faith in society will be the focus of the pope’s speech.
The pope and the archbishop greeted each other warmly before waving briefly to the crowd and heading inside, where the pontiff was applauded by bishops from both the Catholic and Anglican churches.
“You are here for another historic meeting and you are most welcome,” Dr Williams said, adding that Christian leaders must be ready to fight back against the critics of religion.
Dr Williams said he hoped the pope’s visit would give the Catholic and Anglican Churches “fresh energy and vision for working together”, with a “passionate commitment to the dignity of all human beings”.
He said “perhaps we shall not quickly overcome the remaining obstacles to full, restored communion” but this should not prevent a “closer friendship” between the churches.
The pope acknowledged the obstacles to unity between the Catholic and Anglican churches but said he wanted to give thanks for “the deep friendship that has grown between us”.
The pope said society was moving away from its Christian heritage and urged followers to stand up for their religion. “We Christians must never hesitate to proclaim our faith.”
Lambeth Palace, on the south bank of the River Thames, has been the London residence of archbishops of Canterbury since the 13th century. It acts as a home for the archbishop and his family when in London and as the central office for his ministry.
Earlier, the pope paid tribute to the “outstanding contribution” made by religious orders to education in Britain.
He told an audience of religious congregations and about 4,000 school pupils and young people gathered at St Mary’s College in Twickenham, south west London, of his “deep appreciation” for the dedicated men and women who devote their lives to teaching the young. It was the pope’s first public engagement on English soil.
He added, in an apparent reference to the series of clerical child abuse allegations facing the Catholic Church, that he wished to add a “particular word of appreciation” for those whose task is to ensure Catholic schools provide a safe environment for children and young people.
He said teaching should be carried out in an atmosphere of “respectful and affectionate trust”. And he said religion should be the “driving force” of school life.
“Our responsibility towards those entrusted to us for their Christian formation demands nothing less,” he said.
“Indeed, the life of the faith can only be effectively nurtured when the prevailing atmosphere is one of respectful and affectionate trust.” He said he prayed that this may continue to be a “hallmark” of Catholic schools in this country.
The pope was speaking to representatives from a range of religious congregations including the Benedictines, the De La Salle Brothers and the Christian Brothers in the chapel of St Mary’s.
Agencies