Pope gives Obama booklet on bioethics
* Pope, Obama hold their first meeting
* Pope gives Obama a Vatican booklet on bioethics
* Obama tells pope he wants good relations with the Vatican
(Rewrites throughout)
By Philip Pullella and Jeff Mason
VATICAN CITY, July 10 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama held talks with Pope Benedict on Friday and the pontiff gave him a booklet explaining Vatican opposition to practices such as abortion and embryonic stem cell research, which Obama supports.
Obama told the pope Washington wanted strong relations with the Vatican.
Obama and Benedict held private talks for about 40 minutes in the pope's private frescoed study in the Vatican's apostolic palace and the president briefed him on the G8 summit which ended hours earlier in the central Italian city of L'Aquila.
The pope gave Obama, who last March lifted restrictions of federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, a copy of a recent Vatican document on bio-ethics in which the Holy See explains it opposition to such practices.
"Dignitas Personae" (dignity of a person) condemns artificial fertilisation and other techniques used by many couples and also says human cloning, "designer babies" and embryonic stem-cell research were immoral.
It defends life from conception to natural death.
The pope's private secretary later told reporters after the meeting: "This reading can help the president better understand the Church's position on these issues."
Obama told the pope during a picture-taking session after the private part of the audience: "We look forward to a very strong relationship between our two countries."
The pope told Obama, who is a Christian, "I pray for you."
He also gave the president a copy of his latest encyclical, "Charity in Truth," which called for a "world political authority" to manage the global economy and for more government regulation of national economies to pull the world out of the current crisis and avoid a repeat.
Obama, who was going to the airport from the Vatican, joked to the pope when he gave him the two documents: "I'll have something to read on the plane."
OBAMA PLEASED WITH G8
Obama arrived at the Vatican under tight security from the central city of L'Aquila, where he participated in the G8 summit. Much of the area around the Vatican was blocked off and cell phone coverage was jammed as his motorcade passed.
Unlike his predecessor George Bush, Obama and the pope do not see eye-to-eye on abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research.
The Vatican condemns embryonic stem cell research, which scientists say can lead to cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's, because it involves the destruction of embryos.
U.S. Catholic bishops criticised Obama for lifting the ban and later many of the bishops denounced Notre Dame University, a leading American Catholic institution, for giving Obama an honorary degree.
Still, the Vatican says it wants to have constructive dialogue with Obama on a host of issues, including peace, the Middle East, the environment and dialogue with the Muslim world.
The G8 summit pledged $20 billion in farm aid to help poor nations feed themselves.
"It was very productive, particularly today," Obama told the pope". Before he arrived at the Vatican, Michelle Obama and their children Malia and Sasha were given a private tour of St Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.
Michelle Obama joined her husband and the pope after the private talks ended. (Editing by Sophie Hares)
