FACTBOX: Milestones in Roman Catholic-Muslim relations

(Reuters) - Pope Benedict met Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Tuesday -- the first meeting between a Pope and a Saudi monarch, custodian of two of Islam's holiest shrines.

Here are some recent milestones in relations between their two faiths:

* THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL:

-- The council declaration "Nostra Aetate" (1965) was mainly a positive re-evaluation of Judaism but it also included a section on Islam and noted that Muslims adored God, revered Jesus as a prophet and honored his mother, the Virgin Mary.

-- "The Church regards with esteem also the Muslims," it said, urging sincere work for mutual understanding.

* POPE JOHN PAUL II:

-- Morocco's King Hassan became the first Muslim head of state to receive a Pope, when John Paul II made a two-day visit in 1985.

-- In 1996 John Paul used a 10-hour visit to Tunisia to call for dialogue and tolerance between Christians and Muslims after centuries of persecution and distrust dating back to the crusades.

-- In 2001 John Paul became the first Pontiff in history to visit and pray in a Muslim place of worship, visiting the ancient Great Umayyad Mosque in Syria's capital, Damascus.