Vatican City, Mar 5, 2018 / 07:32 am
On Monday, Pope Francis and Europe's youngest political leader met at the Vatican, where they discussed an array of issues including migration, nuclear disarmament and the need to promote peace and solidarity.
Sebastian Kurz, 31, is the Chancellor of Austria and is currently the youngest European leader in office. Prior to his December 2017 election to the position, he served as the nation's Foreign Minister.
Traveling as part of Kurz's official 6-person delegation for his March 5 meeting with Pope Francis was Wilfried Haslauer, the governor of Salzburg, who was present in honor of the 200th anniversary of well-known Christmas hymn "Stille Nacth," or "Silent Night."
Written by Austrian Catholic priest Fr. Joseph Mohr and composed by Franz Xaver Gruber, the now world-famous hymn was first played in the church in Oberdorf bei Salzburg Christmas night 1818. In his brief greeting to Pope Francis, Haslauer invited the Pope to visit the city for this year's anniversary celebrations.