Barack Obama in 'frank' discussions with Pope

The Fly-killer-Teleprompter-President and the Hard-of-Hearing-ex-Nazi-Pope meet for frank discussions

The two men share similar views on helping the poor [collecting charity Tax: Africa's starving could treble to 600m] and pushing for [a New world Order] Middle East peace but disagree on abortion and stem cell research.

With some Catholic activists and American bishops outspoken in their criticism of Mr Obama, even as polls have shown he received a majority of Catholic votes, the audience is much awaited.

Mr Obama's election presented a challenge for the Vatican after eight years of common ground with President George W. Bush in opposing abortion, an issue that drew them together despite the Vatican's opposition to the war in Iraq.

But the Vatican has been openly interested in Mr Obama's views and scheduled an unusual afternoon meeting to accommodate the American president at the end of his stay in Italy for a G8 summit meeting in the earthquake-stricken city of L'Aquila and just before he leaves for Ghana. More?