Pope Benedict will be received by Queen Elizabeth in Edinburgh in September, the UK government confirmed on Tuesday, announcing details of his historic visit to Britain which risks being overshadowed by a snowballing sexual abuse scandal engulfing the Catholic church.
Although the German-born pontiff will not receive the usual trappings of a full state reception, such as residence at Buckingham Palace and a banquet with the Queen, the September 16-19 visit has been accorded "the status of a state visit", the first for a pope. His predecessor, John Paul II, came on a "pastoral visit" to the UK in 1982.
But its diplomatic significance - in the context of the 16th century schism between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches and the excommunication of King Henry VIII - risks being lost amid mounting protests over Pope Benedict's handling of cases of sexual abuse of children by priests across Europe.
The Vatican at the weekend responded forcefully to reports in Germany linking the pope to a case of a paedophile priest during Benedict's tenure as archbishop of Bavaria 30 years ago.
Father Federico Lombardi, the Pope's spokesman, denounced what he called the "aggressive" attempts to smear the 83-year-old pontiff, and said accusations of a papal cover-up were defamatory. The spokesman said the Pope wanted an "absolutely rigorous and transparent line" on the scandals.
The Munich archdiocese announced late Monday that the German priest in question, who was convicted in 1986 for child molestation, had been suspended from his post involving pastoral services for tourists after violating restrictions on contacts with children.
Pope Benedict, who has previously denounced sexual abuses committed by priests as a serious crime and sin, has come under fire in Ireland and Germany for not speaking out more on the issue. Vatican officials are said to be stunned by a flurry of reports of several hundred alleged cases of abuse, some said to have been committed decades ago, emerging across Europe, including Italy.
The Vatican says the pontiff will address the issue "decisively" in a letter to the church in Ireland to be issued before Easter. It is possible he will also directly refer to Germany. In Ireland on Monday, Cardinal Sean Brady dismissed calls for his resignation.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien, head of the Catholic church in Scotland, on Tuesday said a "defining feature" of the Pope's teaching has been to "give us guidance on the great moral issues of our day".
The UK has some 6m Catholics, about one tenth of the population. During his visit, the Pope will be carry out the ceremony of beatification - the first step towards sainthood - of Cardinal John Henry Newman, the 19th century theologian and educationalist. He will also meet Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual head of the world's 77m Anglicans.
Full details of the pope's itinerary have not been released. There was speculation in Rome on Tuesday that the pontiff might seek to meet victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests.