Putin to meet Pope as churches draw closer

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Pope Benedict for the first time tomorrow but aides played down talk of a possible breakthrough in relations between the Catholic Church and its Russian Orthodox sister.

The Vatican meeting is part of a visit that includes talks with the Italian government and a chance to pay homage to the relics of one of Russia's most venerated saints, Nicholas, at his shrine in the southern Italian city of Bari.

Putin, an Orthodox believer, was in favour of a visit to Russia by Benedict's predecessor John Paul II. But the Pontiff was never able to fulfil his ambition of seeing post-Communist Russia because of long-running differences with the Orthodox Church and charges that Catholics were poaching its faithful.

Benedict has made improved relations with the Orthodox a priority. Aides say this is helping to heal the 1,000-year-old schism between Rome and the Eastern Christian churches.

Vatican Radio quoted the Holy See's nuncio to Moscow, Mgr Antonio Mennini, as saying on Saturday that relations between the two churches had "much improved".

"The President recently ... praised the efforts of the (Catholic) Church and religious groups in Russia for contributing towards this climate of reconciliation and communion between all the believers in Russia," he said.

"Something has changed in our relations with the Vatican," said Metropolitan Kirill, a possible successor to the ageing Russian Orthodox head, Patriarch Alexiy, last week.

Possible attempts by Putin to broker a meeting between the Pope and Alexiy on neutral territory have been rumoured.

But Kremlin officials, who refuse official comment, said informally that Putin had never discussed such a meeting with Pope John Paul and would not discuss it with his successor.

A senior official in the Moscow Patriarchate's External Relations Department, Father Igor Yuzhanov, said no breakthrough should be expected from Tuesday's Vatican meeting. "This will be a secular, inter-state visit," he told Reuters.

Mennini also said the time might not yet be ripe for a meeting between Benedict and the Patriarch.

Whatever the outcome of his Vatican visit, Putin will have plenty of other business in Italy during meetings with Prime Minister Romano Prodi and his government.

A demonstration of friendly ties with Italy is important for Putin, whose policy of reviving Russia's global influence on the back of strong economic growth has alarmed some Western states.