Pope Benedict applauded the Northern Ireland peace process on Saturday and expressed the hope that it might become an inspiration for political and religious leaders in the world's troubled zones.
The pope was addressing the new Irish Ambassador to the Holy See, Noel Fahey, who formally presented his credentials at the pope's summer residence in Castelgandolfo, south of Rome.
Repeating a theme that he first touched on during an audience with President McAleese last March, the pope said the peace process had been "a long and arduous endeavour". Peace, he said, had been achieved through widespread international support as well as through the "determined political resolve" of both the Irish and British governments.
The pope continued: "The entire human family has taken heart from this outcome and welcomes this wave of hope sent across the world that conflict, no matter how engrained, can be overcome. It is my fervent hope that the peace which is already bringing renewal to the North will inspire political and religious leaders in other troubled zones of our world to recognise that only upon forgiveness, reconciliation and mutual respect can lasting peace be built."
Welcoming the current "structured dialogue" between church and Government in Ireland, the pope had warned against encroaching secularism in a modern Ireland of "unprecedented economic growth," saying: "Some might question whether the church is entitled to make a contribution to the governance of a nation. In a pluralist democratic society, should not faith and religion be restricted to the private sphere? The historical rise of brutal totalitarian regimes, contemporary scepticism in the face of political rhetoric, and a growing uneasiness with the lack of ethical points of reference governing recent scientific advances . . . all point to the imperfections and limitations found within both individuals and society."
In recent months, Pope Benedict has regularly touched on environmental issues and he did so again on Saturday.
"Like many nations around the globe, Ireland has in recent years made care of the environment one of its priorities in both domestic and international relations. The promotion of sustainable development and particular attention to climate change are indeed matters of grave importance for the entire human family."
The pope also used the occasion to defend the "innate dignity of human life", saying: "God's loving act of creation must be understood as a whole. How disturbing is it that not infrequently the very social and political groups that, admirably, are most attuned to the awe of God's creation pay scant attention to the marvel of life in the womb. Let us hope that especially among young people, emerging interest in the environment will deepen their understanding of the proper order and magnificence of God's creation of which man and woman stand at the centre and summit."
Mr Fahey, who served as Irish ambassador to Germany and the United States, was meeting the Pope for the first time.