BRITAIN’S historic papal visit came to an end yesterday as Benedict XVI gave a final wave from the steps of his plane.

POPE John Paul II said he hoped the return of a precious icon to the Russian Orthodox Church would hasten “mutual understanding and reconciliation” between the Roman Catholic Church and its eastern counterpart.

Intensifying his diplomatic efforts to avert a war against Iraq, Pope John Paul II is sending a special envoy to Washington to meet US President George W Bush, the Vatican said today.