ITALIAN HEAD OF GOVERNMENT D'ALEMA VISITS POPE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 8, 1999 (VIS) - At the beginning of the afternoon, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration following the visit to the Holy Father of Massimo D'Alema, president of the Italian Council of Ministers.

Following the meeting with the Pope, Mr. D'Alema met with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state. "Several fundamental expectations of Italian Catholics" were discussed, such as "true recognition of equality among schools with support for non-State schools; more effective policies in favor of the family and the commitment to offer young generations concrete prospectives of insertion into the world of work."

"Satisfaction was expressed once again on the part of the Holy See for the confirmed commitment on the part of the Italians to improve in the early months of the year the carrying out of agreed measures, particularly with regard to the protection of Church cultural patrimony (archives and libraries) and for greater spiritual aid for personnel from the State police force. The existing collaboration for the preparation of the Jubilee of the Year 2000 between the parties was noted with satisfaction."

"A joint committee ... will quickly begin to operate, convinced that it will be able to significantly contribute to the definition of clear guidelines destined to guarantee an ever more correct application of the norms which regulate the free carrying out of the ministry of bishops and, more generally, the relationship between Church and State 'each one in their independent and sovereign sphere."

"In the international field, what was particularly stressed was the convergence of efforts by the Holy See and Italy for peace in areas very tried by conflicts, in Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans."

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