Pope Benedict XVI met with key religious figures from around the world on Tuesday, as part of a two-day spiritual initiative ahead of next month's Group of Eight summit.The pontiff addressed 129 delegates, who are in Italy to discuss issues on the July G8 agenda from a spiritual and ethical perspective.
Benedict said he hoped the world's political leaders would pay heed to what he described as ''a grave duty to ensure their decisions and policies support the common good''.
He thanked the Italian Episcopal Conference for their efforts in organizing the two-day event alongside the Italian Foreign Ministry.
''I trust this initiative will do a great deal to draw the attention of the world's political leaders to the importance of religion in the social fabric of every society,'' the pope said.
The religious representatives began their two-day stay in Italy on Tuesday morning with a visit to the central Italian town of L'Aquila to pay tribute to April's earthquake victims.
They then travelled down to Rome for a meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and a later encounter with Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. Delegates were present from industrialized and developing countries around the world and from an array of faiths, including Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and Shintoists.
The talks focused on an array of topics: water, health, education, food security and peace, with a particular focus on Africa and the impact of the world economic crisis.
''We hope these talks will remind political leaders that a religious dimension is essential for the development of peace and for coexistence between different peoples,'' said the President of the Episcopal Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue at the Italian Bishops Conference, Vincenzo Paglia.
Delegates resumed discussions following their meeting with the pope and wrapped up with a public press conference and a final statement of issues they want considered at the July summit of leaders.
Speaking at the conference, Paglia explained talks had focused on the need to reassert the primary of spirituality over materialism. Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church said there should be no dividing line between ''religious and non-religious matters''.
''The world should be supported by an ethical system of values, particularly when it comes to financial issues,'' he said.
Mohammed Amine Smaili, Professor of Islamic Dogmatic and Comparative Religion at Rabat University in Morocco, echoed the need for religious and ethical ideals to pervade all aspects of society.
''The G8 summit must bring religion and economy together because neither religion nor economy alone can bring us to peace,'' he said. ''We are here to try and merge economic and religious ideals''.
Now in its fourth year, the religious assembly is one of a series of gatherings in the run-up to the G8 summit.
Other meetings have seen civil society representatives, climate change scientists, university chancellors, students and business figures from around the world meeting in Italy, which is president of this year's G8.
The aim is to provide world leaders with a range of views from different sectors of society when they meet for the final summit, which gets under way on July 8.
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