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A Vatican spokesman said Rowan Williams and the pope spoke privately for about 20 minutes and discussed Christian-Muslim relations, inter-faith dialogue and the pope's impression of his visit to the United States last month.

He described the visit, the second official meeting between the Pope and the spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans, as "warm and friendly".

In March Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the Vatican's top man for relations with Islam, criticized Williams as mistaken and "naive" for suggesting that it was unavoidable that some aspects of Sharia, Islamic law, would be adopted in Britain.

Pope discusses Islam relations with Anglican head

In a telegram sent in his name to the Catholic bishops of the country once known as Burma, the Vatican expressed the pope's deep sadness and heartfelt sympathy and assured his prayers for the victims and their families.

The telegram said the pope was "confident that the international community will respond with generous and effective relief to the needs" of the country.

Pope urges international help for Myanmar

"We Armenians are a people who have survived genocide, and we know well the value of love, brotherhood, friendship and a secure life," Karekin II said in a public address during Pope Benedict's general audience in St. Peter's Square."Today, many countries of the world recognise and condemn the genocide committed against the Armenian people by Ottoman Turkey ..." the head of Armenia's Apostolic Church added, speaking in English before tens of thousands of people.

Karekin, who like the pope has the title "His Holiness," said he wanted to "appeal to all nations and lands to universally condemn all genocides that have occurred throughout history and those that continue to the present day ..."

Turkey strongly denies Armenian claims, saying that Muslim Turks also died in inter-ethnic conflict as the Ottoman Empire crumbled during World War One.Western historians have backed Armenian claims that the killings amounted to a genocide.

In his address to Karekin before the crowd, Benedict spoke of "the severe persecutions suffered by Armenian Christians, especially during the last century," but did not use the word genocide.

Armenian leader condemns "genocide" before pope

Benedict called it a "truly unique event" and offered a "thank you" in Chinese at the end of the hour-long concert.

He praised music as a bridge between cultures and peoples and expressed greetings "to all the people of China as they prepare for the Olympic Games." The pontiff said he wanted to reach out "to your entire people" and that he had a "special thought" for Chinese Catholics loyal to the papacy.

Benedict, a classical music lover, sat in an embroidered ivory velvet chair and listened intently to Mozart's "Requiem." He applauded at the end.

"This is a glorious moment that will be cherished long in our memories," conductor Yu Long said in brief remarks to the pope and guests before the concert began. "I hope tonight's performance will help spread a message of peace and love."

Ties between the Vatican and China's communist government have been strained for decades.

"Music is beyond any religion, culture, language, and I would say music is the language of God because language is understanding each other," the conductor told The Associated Press in an interview before the evening concert in the Paul VI auditorium.

He said he wanted to send a message to the Chinese people about the value of understanding Western culture - and added: "especially I hope the whole world can also understand us."
Chinese orchestra performs for Pope Benedict at Vatican

Pope reaches out to China at unprecedented concert

"Only the Holy Spirit, which creates unity in love and mutual acceptance of diversity, can liberate humanity from the constant temptation of a desire for power on earth that wants to dominate everything and make everything more uniform."

At the feast of Pentecost, Pope Benedict, the Church was founded not by human will, but "by the strength of the Spirit of God."

The Pope recalled that the Jewish feast of Pentecost commemorates the covenant of Sinai when God, through Moses, established the Israelites as his chosen people. "According to the Book of Exodus, this pact was accompanied by a terrifying demonstration of power by the Lord," Pope Benedict said.

In the Acts of the Apostles, he reminded, "the apostles and community of 120 disciples forms an 'assembly' according to the model of the first covenant, a community convened to hear the voice of the Lord and walk in his ways."

Pope Celebrates Feast of Pentecost

"Allowing the termination of pregnancies not only did not resolve the problems afflicting many women and more than a few families, but has also opened more wounds in our societies," the pope told members of an Italian pro-life group.

"Looking at the past three decades and considering the current situation, one cannot deny that defending human life has today become practically more difficult because of a mentality that has progressively degraded its value," he added.

"As a result, there is less respect for human life, but this value must be at the base of every moral civilization irrelevant of the religion of that civilization," he said.

"Your visit has taken place 30 years since Italy legalised abortion and the objective of your organisation suggests that there is a deep effect on humans and society which this law has produced in the civil and Christian community during this period," he told the pro-life campaigners.

The speech came before thousands of pro-life advocates from Movement for Life who had met in the Aula di Benedizione (Hall of Blessing).

Livia Turco, the former Health minister in the previous government, which lost the elections in part because of its pro-abortion advocacy, defended the abortion law in comments to Reuters.

"The legislation is wise, far-sighted and efficient," she said of the nation's current abortion law.
Pope Benedict XVI Condemns Italy Abortion Law, Says It Hurts Women

Pope: in respect for life, the dignity of the person is at stake