The Holy Father welcomed on the morning of Thursday the trustees of the “John Paul II Cultural Center” based in Washington, D.C.

The Pope told the US delegation that “it is with gratitude and encouragement that I note your efforts to promote contact, interaction and understanding between peoples and cultures.”

“In fact,” he added, “it is just such mutual exchange that is so necessary today for building the culture of peace, the civilization of love that must ever be the guiding light for our world in this new millennium.”