The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at middayon Friday: "This
morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience
Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, president of the Republic of Iceland. The president subsequently
went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied
by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States. "During
the cordial discussions special mention was made of the good relationship that has
linked Iceland to the Holy See and which is symbolically represented in the person
of Gudridur Thorbjarnardottir, pioneer of the Christian faith on the Island, and a
sculpture of whom the Icelandic Head of State has given to the Holy Father in memory
of the pilgrimage to Rome he made shortly after the year 1000, during which she met
with the successor of Saint Peter. "During the audience, emphasis was given to
the high esteem enjoyed by the small Catholic community in Iceland, alongside the
valid contribution it offers to Icelandic society through its initiatives in educational
and social fields, particularly in the current economic circumstances. Themes of common
interest at national and international level were then considered, with particular
attention to the role of traditional values in the construction of the Nation and
the contribution of Iceland in the promotion of peace, the peaceful co-existence of
its various communities, and in environmental protection". Listen to the
full interview by Wilhelm Hojer with President Grimsson: