ROMANIANS PRESENT CHRISTMAS TREE TO THE POPE

VATICAN CITY, DEC 17, 2001 (VIS) - This morning the Pope received in private audience Ion Iliescu, president of the Republic of Romania. He then went to the Clementine Hall where he met a group of Romanian pilgrims who had accompanied the president in order to present the Pope with the Christmas tree for St. Peter's Square.

The Pope stated that the presence of the Romanian delegation reminded him of the "days of intense activity" he had passed in Romania on the occasion "of my unforgettable apostolic visit of two years ago. With deep emotion, I recall the meeting with the Patriarch Teoctist and the Romanian Orthodox Church; I also affectionately recall the venerable Cardinal Alexandru Todea and the fervent Catholic community."

"I would like to highlight," he continued, "Romania's active presence, in the year that is now drawing to a close, in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Among the decisions taken with your country's collaboration, I would like to mention those relative to the subject of spiritual values and religious liberty. May God continue to bless the efforts of the Romanian nation, that it may not cease to carry out faithfully its role as 'bridge' between the different cultural and religious traditions of Europe, thus favoring peace and understanding among men."

AC;CHRISTMAS TREE;...;ROMANIA;VIS;20011217;Word: 230;