Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 3, 1994 TAG: 9406030109
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: VATICAN CITY LENGTH: Medium
The pope appeared frail in his first major public appearance since breaking his hip in April, but he was resolute in his opposition to abortion during a 40-minute meeting with Clinton in the papal library.
Clinton said he was ``pretty straightforward'' in laying out U.S. policy in support of abortion. But where the Vatican focused on the core of their differences, Clinton chose to emphasize what they could agree on.
Calling it a ``profound honor'' to be at the Vatican, the president reached out to Roman Catholics, praising the commitment of the 950 million-member church and its clergy.
Clinton's meeting with the pope was described by Vatican officials as cordial, meaning John Paul didn't wave his finger at the president, but he firmly stood his ground.
``There are some genuine disagreements between us on the role of contraception and population policy,'' Clinton acknowledged. But he stressed that his administration does not support abortion as a means of birth control.
Clinton, a Southern Baptist, said there was no disagreement on what he called the ``larger issues'' in development policy, such as improving the status of women and stable population growth.
During a photo session at the start of their meeting, the pope took Clinton by the hand and chatted in English about their first meeting in August in Denver. Then John Paul, moving stiffly, invited Clinton to sit down and continued speaking to him in English.
John Paul did not publicly rebuke Clinton on abortion as he did in Denver. But a papal aide stressed that their differences could be narrowed only if the president moved closer to the pope's position.
Stressing points of agreement after the talks, Clinton pledged to join battle with John Paul on fighting restrictions on religion in China, Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia and the rise of Islam in the world.
``I thought we had a great deal in common ... and we should focus on those things,'' Clinton said at a news conference after meeting with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi.
The Vatican said an upcoming U.N.-sponsored conference in Cairo on ways of stabilizing world population dominated the talks, a matter that has strained Washington's relations with the Vatican.
Clinton is committed to reversing the policies of the Reagan and Bush administrations, which denied U.S. funds to international organizations that support abortion. The administration wants to liberalize abortion language in the U.N. conference plan.
by CNB