Rome  - The Vatican on Sunday denied news reports of plans by Pope Benedict XVI to meet in the coming weeks with US President Barack Obama.

Vatican press secretary Federico Lombardi announced that there was "no official request" by the US administration for a meeting with the pope.

Lombardi did mention as a possibility a meeting between the two leaders in July as part of the G8 summit on island of La Maddalena near Sardinia.

Italian media had previously quoted US Vatican representative Thomas J Reese as saying the Vatican and Washington were in the process of organizing a meeting of the two leaders, possibly to take place during Obama's first visit to Europe on the occasion of the G20 summit in London in April.

The Ansa news agency also reported that the Holy See had unofficially confirmed the proposed meeting.

The Vatican has criticized the new president on his administration's policies on abortion and stem cell research.