Next week's meeting here between United States President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict XVI ''will be much more than a chat,'' the American leader told the Italian bishops' daily Avvenire on Friday.
In an interview published by the daily, Obama said Benedict had demonstrated ''extraordinary leadership'' and expressed his hope that he and the pope could establish ''long-lasting collaboration'' on such issues as peace in the Middle East, combating poverty, climate change and immigration''.
Looking ahead to next Friday's encounter, Obama said that ''naturally, it will be much more than a chat between heads of government''.
In regard to his relations with the US Catholic Church, which is opposed to his views on issues like abortion and gay rights, the president said he would always firmly defend ''the right of bishops to criticise me, even when they use some fairly incendiary language''.
''I would be happy to have them at the White House and participate in a whole host of roundtables in which we try to work through our differences. There are always going to be areas where we have profound agreements and there are going to be some areas where we disagree. That's healthy,'' Obama said.
''American bishops have a profound influence in their communities, in the church, and beyond. Although there have been criticisms leveled at me from some bishops, there have been others who have been extremely generous and supportive even if they don't agree with me on every issue,'' the president added.
Turning his attention to the Group of Eight summit in L'Aquila, which he will attend before meeting the pope, Obama said he would draw attention not only ''on the need to stabilise the economy, but above all to convince other countries to follow the example of the US'' and allocate more money for poor countries.
''I have already convinced Congress to approve $100 billion in credit for the International Monetary Fund as a means to help poorer countries,'' he recalled.
''We as the US plan to double our aid and our priority at the G8 will be to convince the others to do likewise,'' Obama added.
