The venerable John Allen speculates that Barack Obama and Pope Benedict, while poles apart on some important issues, still share some common ground:

The prevailing view in the Vatican leadership, even among Benedict and his conservative supporters, seems to be cautious optimism. These leaders seem to think they have more in common with the new U.S. president than most observers realize. That’s because other aspects of Catholic teaching, which Benedict helped expound during his 24-year stint as the Vatican’s top doctrinal official, seem fairly close to positions Obama expounded on the campaign trail.

Shortly before his death on Jan. 10, veteran Vatican diplomat Cardinal Pio Laghi, who served as Pope John Paul II’s ambassador to the United States during the Reagan years, was surprisingly positive about the new president.

“There are many points on which there will be agreement,” Laghi told a Dec. 22 conference in Rome, pointing to poverty relief, healthcare, and immigration as areas where Obama’s positions are “in consonance with the social doctrine of the church.” He also praised Obama for running a campaign in the “spirit of national reconciliation of [Abraham] Lincoln.”

To be sure, Laghi predicted tension over life issues such as abortion, but nonetheless, Laghi’s optimism reflects what has been a broadly upbeat tone from the Vatican in response to Obama, which began with a Nov. 5 telegram from Benedict hailing his election as a “historic occasion” and expressing desire to collaborate in building “a world of peace, solidarity and justice.” That gesture was itself a notable tip of the cap because Vatican protocol usually dictates that popes do not address heads of state until they formally take office.

Benedict’s overture was also a subtle contrast with Catholic bishops in the United States, who swiftly warned Obama about cultural war should his administration move forward with the Freedom of Choice Act, which would repeal all federal and state restrictions on abortion.

The pope, however, seems to be taking the long view. Although Benedict’s doctrinal conservatism is certain to create major obstacles in relations with Obama on issues such as abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and gay rights, it might leave other doors open. At the top of the list would be global antipoverty efforts; during a 2007 trip to Brazil, Benedict said that the Catholic Church’s “preferential option for the poor” flows from its faith in Jesus Christ, who was himself poor.

Other areas where Vatican officials perceive at least the possibility of a meeting of minds include disarmament, peacemaking, and environmental protection. They’ve also signaled that Obama might be better positioned to make a difference in two regions of the world where the Vatican has strong interests: the Middle East — including Iraq, where it clashed with George W. Bush over the war — and Africa.

Check out the Foreign Policy link for the rest.