"I express my gratitude for the visit of the Primate of the Anglican Communion in Rome; this meeting, which has been much more successful than expected, proves we want to continue our dialogue with courage and commit ourselves to overcoming any difficulty". These are the words of card. Walter Kasper, president of the Papal Council for the Promotion of the Unity of Christians, who attended the press conference of archbishop Rowan Williams this morning. With reference to Benedict XVI’s forthcoming journey to Turkey, card. Kasper defined it "not an easy visit but a very important one to support the Christian minorities that live in the country". Similar was Williams’ opinion: "Yesterday, with the Pope, we did not tackle the issue, but we spoke of dialogue with Islam. I think it will be a very demanding journey, during which Benedict XVI will have to be careful with what he says". As to the common worries about the Christian populations in the Middle East, card. Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Catholic Primate of England and Wales, announced a "shared pilgrimage" to the Holy Land at Christmas time, with the leaders and the congregations of the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist and Baptist Churches of England.
