Pope Benedict makes history with Lambeth House visit

Also in the welcoming committee were the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan and the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Most Rev David Chillingworth.

Lambeth Palace, on the south bank of the River Thames, has been the London residence of archbishops of Canterbury since the 13th century.

It acts as a home for the Archbishop and his family when in London and

as the central office for his ministry.

Dr Williams led the Pope to the Great Hall of the Palace to a gathering of Church of England diocesan bishops and Roman Catholic bishops of England, Scotland and Wales.

The bishops cheered as the pair entered the room and the Pontiff waved at the crowd.

Dr Williams welcomed the Pope and spoke of the historic visit as "a special time of grace and of growth in our shared calling".

He said: "It is a particular pleasure that on this historic occasion we are able to come together as bishops of the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches in this country to greet you, Your Holiness, during a visit which we all hope will be of significance both to the Church of Christ and to British society.

"May this historic visit be for all of us a special time of grace and of growth in our shared calling, as you, Your Holiness, bring us the word of the Gospel afresh."

Dr Williams said Christian leaders must be ready to fight back against the critics of religion.

He said their duty "involves a readiness to respond to the various trends in our cultural environment that seek to present Christian faith as both an obstacle to human freedom and a scandal to human intellect".

Dr Williams continued: "Our presence together as British bishops here today is a sign of the way in which, in this country, we see our task as one and indivisible.

"Our fervent prayer is that this visit will give us fresh energy and vision for working together.

"Meeting, as we do, as bishops of separated church communities, we must all feel that each of our own ministries is made less by the fact of our dividedness, a very real but imperfect communion.

"Perhaps we shall not quickly overcome the remaining obstacles to full, restored communion.

"But no obstacles stand in the way of our seeking, as a matter of joyful obedience to the Lord, more ways in which to build up one another in holiness by prayer and public celebration together, by closer friendship, and by growing together both in the challenging work of service for all whom Christ loves, and mission to all God has made."

Addressing the bishops, the Pope acknowledged the obstacles to unity between the Catholic and Anglican churches, saying: "It is not my intention today to speak of the difficulties that the ecumenical path has encountered and continues to encounter. Those difficulties are well known to everyone here."

He said he wanted to give thanks for "the deep friendship that has grown between us".

The Pope said society was moving away from its Christian heritage.

He said: "On the one hand, the surrounding culture is growing ever more distant from its Christian roots, despite a deep and widespread hunger for spiritual nourishment.

"On the other hand, the increasingly multicultural dimension of society, particularly marked in this country, brings with it the opportunity to encounter other religions."

He said moves towards unity in the two churches "will surely bear fruit in promoting peace and harmony in a world that so often seems at risk of fragmentation".

The Pope urged Christians to stand up for their faith, saying: "We Christians never hesitate to proclaim our faith."