CNA Staff, May 22, 2021 / 08:00 am
Pope Francis received European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in a private audience on Saturday.
The Holy See press office said May 22 that the pope received the 62-year-old German leader in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. They spoke for about 30 minutes.
The press office added that von der Leyen later met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.
“During the cordial discussions, reference was made to the good bilateral relations, recently advanced thanks to the structured dialogue between the parties, and the current initiatives for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the European Union,” the press office said.