VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2008 (VIS) - This morning, the Pope visited the New York headquarters of the United Nations Organisation where, on his arrival, he was welcomed by Ban Ki-moon, U.N. secretary general, and Srgjan Kerim, current president of the General Assembly.

VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2008 (VIS) - At the end of his meeting with the president of the U.N. Security Council, the Pope met with members of the United Nations staff, to whom he addressed some brief remarks.

Benedict XVI contrasted the relatively small size of the U.N. headquarters and the greatness of its mission with the reduced dimensions of Vatican City State and the universality of the Church's calling. "The sixteenth-century artists who painted the maps on the walls of the Apostolic Palace", he said, offered Popes "a tangible sign of the immense outreach of the Church's mission at a time when the discovery of the New World was opening up unforeseen horizons.

VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 5.20 p.m. today, the Holy Father visited New York's Park East Synagogue, which was built in 1889 and is one of the city's historic landmarks. The members of the synagogue are involved in educational and charitable activities and its Rabbi, the Austrian Arthur Schneier, a Holocaust survivor, is president of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation which campaigns to make the Cross the Crescent, and the Star of David symbols of peace, tolerance and mutual respect.

VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 6 p.m. local time today, the Holy Father participated in an ecumenical meeting at the church of St. Joseph. The event was attended by 250 representatives from 10 Christian confessions.

CATHOLICS MUST OFFER A CONVINCING ACCOUNT OF THEIR HOPE

VATICAN CITY, 17 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 9.30 a.m. local time today, the Pope arrived by car at the Nationals Park Stadium of Washington D.C., which has capacity for 45,000 spectators and is the most modern baseball stadium in the United States. The Holy Father was welcomed by Archbishop Donald William Wuerl of Washington, by Adrian M. Fenty, mayor of Washington D.C., and by Theodore Lerner, owner of the stadium and its team.