Mar 6, 2008
By
Staff Writer
Star Tribune / AP
Representatives of five non-Christian faiths will meet with Pope Benedict XVI during his first U.S. visit as pontiff next month.
The 45-minute event on April 17 at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington will include a papal address, greetings from the faith leaders and a presentation of gifts symbolic of each tradition by young members of the respective communities.
There will be no formal dialogue among participants because of time constraints on the pope's schedule, said Sister Mary Ann Walsh, spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.