Pope meets Dalai Lama in strictly religious encounter, Vatican says

Published: 2003-12-01

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II held talks with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in a meeting that was downplayed by the Vatican for fear of political reaction by China. The Dalai Lama spoke privately with the pope Nov. 27 in an audience that was not listed on the pontiff's official activities. A papal spokesman said afterward that "it was a brief courtesy visit, of an exclusively religious nature." An informed Vatican source said the Vatican recognizes the Dalai Lama as a world religious leader and for that reason the pope was pleased to meet with him. But the Dalai Lama has also been pushing for autonomy for Tibet, a land that he fled when it was occupied by China in 1951. "The Vatican's concern, of course, is to avoid repercussions by the Chinese government on the Chinese Catholic community," the Vatican source said.

Copyright (c) 2003 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .