March 4, 2011. Benedict XVI received an audience with the President of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grimsson. In the cordial meeting, which lasted about 25 minutes, the pope and the president exchanged gifts with each other.
VATICAN CITY, 4 MAR 2011 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:
"This morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, president of the Republic of Iceland. The president subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
"During the cordial discussions special mention was made of the good relationship that has linked Iceland to the Holy See and which is symbolically represented in the person of Gudridur Thorbjarnardottir, pioneer of the Christian faith on the Island, and a sculpture of whom the Icelandic Head of State has given to the Holy Father in memory of the pilgrimage to Rome he made shortly after the year 1000, during which she met with the successor of Saint Peter.
"During the audience, emphasis was given to the high esteem enjoyed by the small Catholic community in Iceland, alongside the valid contribution it offers to Icelandic society through its initiatives in educational and social fields, particularly in the current economic circumstances. Themes of common interest at national and international level were then considered, with particular attention to the role of traditional values in the construction of the Nation and the contribution of Iceland in the promotion of peace, the peaceful co-existence of its various communities, and in environmental protection".
