Methodist President will meet Pope Benedict XVI

The President of the Methodist Conference, Revd Alison Tomlin,will meet Pope Benedict XVI during his four day state visit to theUK next week.

She will travel to Edinburgh on Thursday (September 16) for PopeBenedict's arrival and Official State Greeting by Her Majesty TheQueen at Holyrood Palace. On Friday (September 17) she will bepresented to Pope Benedict at Westminster Abbey where Churchleaders will join the Archbishop of Canterbury in a celebration ofEvening Prayer.

Revd Alison Tomlin said: "It's great for the whole Church that PopeBenedict is coming to the UK. It's really important that thedifferent parts of the Church talk to each other and I am gladother Church leaders have been invited to meet him.

"Because of my work in spirituality, I meet with a lot of Catholicsinvolved with Ignatian Spirituality, particularly Jesuit priests.The Catholic Church has been more ecumenically engaged in thiscountry than in other countries. It would be good if we could buildon that.

"I think it's important for Methodism that we have been invited tomeet The Pope. I do see it as an acknowledgement of the MethodistChurch in Britain."