Pope Francis

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/06/pope_reflects_on_transfiguration,_summer_vacation_at_angelus/1329231

Pope reflects on Transfiguration, summer vacation at Angelus
06/08/2017 12:43

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis focused his Angelus reflection on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, which is celebrated each year on 6 August. “The event of the Transfiguration of the Lord,” he said, “offers us a message of hope: it invites us to encounter Jesus, to be at the service of our brothers.”

The disciples’ journey to Mount Tabor, he continued, helps us “to reflect on the importance of detaching ourselves from worldly things, in order to complete our journey to the heights and to contemplate Jesus.” This involves conforming ourselves to Christ’s attitude of "attentive listening and prayer,” which allows us to welcome the Word of God into our lives. Summer time, the Pope said, can be a providential moment to grow in our commitment to seek after and encounter the Lord. “In this period, students are free from their scholastic commitments, and many families take their vacations; it is important that in the period of rest and of detachment from daily occupations, the strength of the body and of the spirit can be restored, deepening the spiritual journey.”
 
https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-the-feast-of-the-transfiguration/
Angelus Address: On the Feast of the Transfiguration 
August 7, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hLYieQDO2s
2017.08.06 Angelus Domini

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/07/pope_francis_prays_at_tomb_of_pope_paul_vi/1329286

Pope Francis prays at tomb of Pope Paul VI
07/08/2017 09:52

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis on Sunday prayed at the tomb of Blessed Pope Paul VI on the 39th anniversary of his death.

Blessed Paul VI is buried in the Vatican in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica.

He was beatified by Pope Francis on 19 October 2014, and his liturgical feast is celebrated on the day of his birth (26 September).

Born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini in 1897, he became Pope on 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978.

Upon succeeding Pope St. John XXIII, he reigned over the Second Vatican Council until its close in 1965 and implemented its reforms, also fostering improved ecumenical relations with Eastern Orthodox and Protestant Christians.
 

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https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2017/08/07/pope-names-academy-life-governing-council/

Pope names Academy for Life governing council
Catholic News Service   August 7, 2017

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia. (Credit: Andrew Medichini/AP.)
ROME - Completing the reorganization of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Pope Francis named four scholars to serve on the academy’s governing council.

The Vatican announced August 5 the scholars who would comprise the council: Etsuko Akiba, a professor of law in the faculty of economics at the University of Toyama, Japan, and a specialist in Catholic bioethics and bioethics law; Monica Lopez Barahona, general director of Spain’s Biosanitary Studies Center and president of the Spanish delegation of the Jerome Lejeune Foundation; Auxiliary Bishop Alberto German Bochatey of La Plata, Argentina, professor of bioethics and vice chancellor of the Catholic University of La Plata; and Adriano Pessina, professor of moral philosophy and director of the Center for Bioethics at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan.

Msgr. Carlos Simon Vazquez, delegate for the Family and Life Section of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, and Msgr. Pierangelo Sequeri, head of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for the Study of Marriage and Family in Rome, also serve on the council by virtue of their positions.

The academy’s president is Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia.
 

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http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2017/pope-tells-belgian-brothers-of-charity-no-more-euthanasia-for-patients.cfm

Pope tells Belgian Brothers of Charity no more euthanasia for patients
By Simon Caldwell Catholic News Service
8.8.2017 11:27 AM ET

MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- Pope Francis has given a Belgian religious order until the end of August to stop offering euthanasia to psychiatric patients.

Brother Rene Stockman, superior general of the order, told Catholic News Service the pope gave his personal approval to a Vatican demand that the Brothers of Charity, which runs 15 centers for psychiatric patients across Belgium, must reverse its policy by the end of August.

Brothers who serve on the board of the Brothers of Charity Group, the organization that runs the centers, also must each sign a joint letter to their superior general declaring that they "fully support the vision of the magisterium of the Catholic Church, which has always confirmed that human life must be respected and protected in absolute terms, from the moment of conception till its natural end."

Brothers who refuse to sign will face sanctions under canon law, while the group can expect to face legal action and even expulsion from the church if it fails to change its policy.

The group, he added, must no longer consider euthanasia as a solution to human suffering under any circumstances.

The order, issued at the beginning of August, follows repeated requests for the group to drop its new policy of permitting doctors to perform the euthanasia of "nonterminal" mentally ill patients on its premises.

It also follows a joint investigation by the Vatican's congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith and for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/09/pope_at_audience_%e2%80%98divine_mercy_is_foundation_of_hope/1329759

Pope at Audience: ‘Divine mercy is foundation of Christian hope’
09/08/2017 13:18

Pope Francis caresses a child at his General Audience in the Paul VI Hall - ANSA
(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis continued his catechesis on Christian hope with pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Hall for the Wednesday General Audience, saying that God’s mercy as embodied by Jesus both transforms us and renews our hope.

In his address to pilgrims at the Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis spoke about God’s mercy and forgiveness as the driving force or the “motor” of Christian hope.

He reflected on the passage in Luke’s Gospel (Lk 7:44-50) in which Jesus forgives the sins of the woman who bathed his feet with her tears and a precious ointment.

Pope Francis said that Jesus’ merciful action causes scandal, because it overturns the dominant attitude of his time. Jesus, he said, embraced sinners and the “untouchables” of his day, rather than rejecting them as was commonplace.
 
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/09/pope_francis_decries_attack_on_nigerian_churchgoers/1329718
Pope Francis decries attack on Nigerian churchgoers, violence in CAR
09/08/2017 11:25

https://zenit.org/articles/popes-general-audience-on-divine-mercy-forgiveness/
Pope’s General Audience: On Divine Mercy, Forgiveness 
August 9, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEGzx-gbVsY
2017.08.09 General Audience

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/13/angelus_listen_to_the_lord_not_horoscopes_/1330553

Angelus: Listen to the Lord not horoscopes or fortune tellers
13/08/2017 13:01

(Vatican Radio)"When you do not cling to the word of the Lord, but have more security in consulting horoscopes and fortune tellers you become submerged”. Those were Pope Francis’ words during his Angelus address on Sunday in St Peter’s Square.

He was referring to the Gospel of the day where Jesus walks on the waters of Lake Galilee to save Peter and the disciples from sinking in their boat due to the heavy waves of the sea.

The Pope recounted how this story is rich in symbolism. The boat, he continued, “is the life of each of us, but it is also the life of the Church; The wind represents difficulties and trials.”

Peter's invocation: "Lord, command me to come to you!" And his cry, "Lord, save me", the Holy Father noted  “are so much like our desire to feel the closeness of the Lord, but also the fear and anguish that accompany the toughest moments of our lives and our communities, marked by internal fragility and external difficulties.”

Pope Francis explained, that at that moment, Peter was not sure of the word of Jesus, which was like a rope to cling to in hostile and turbulent waters. This is what can happen to us as well, he said,   “when you do not cling to the word of the Lord, but to have more security in consulting  horoscopes and fortune tellers you become submerged”.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGnaogSoJ_8
2017.08.13 Angelus Domini

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/15/pope_francis_prays_angelus_for_solemnity_of_the_assumption/1330859

Pope Francis prays Angelus for Solemnity of the Assumption
15/08/2017 12:48

Pope Francis greets the faithful at the Angelus for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. - AFP
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis reflected on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Angelus on Tuesday.

The feast of the Assumption, also known as Ferragosto, is an important religious and civil holiday in Italy, and thousands of faithful were present in St Peter’s Square to celebrate with the Holy Father.

In his remarks, Pope Francis reflected on the Gospel reading, which relates the meeting of Mary with Elizabeth, and records Mary’s triumphant song of praise, the Magnificat. “The greatest gift that Mary brings to Elizabeth,” the Pope said, “is Jesus, who already lives within her – not in faith and hope, as in so many women in the Old Testament: Jesus has taken human flesh from the Virgin, for His mission of salvation.”
 
https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-on-the-feast-of-the-assumption-3/
ANGELUS: On the Feast of the Assumption 
August 15, 2017

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/the-history-of-the-assumption-and-why-its-a-holy-day-of-obligation-30528/
The history of the Assumption – and why it's a Holy Day of Obligation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbhVtk7NMTU
2017.08.15 Angelus Domini

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http://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/a-trip-to-moscow-for-pope-francis

trip to Moscow for Pope Francis?
By Andrea Gagliarducci On 14 agosto 2017


Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, will go to Moscow on August 20-24, and the news of his upcoming trip re-opened the discussion about a possible trip to Russia by Pope Francis.

Cardinal Parolin’s official schedule for the trip has not been released yet. It seems certain that the Cardinal will meet both President Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

A papal trip to Moscow is a longtime dream. It dates back to 1990s, when – after the fall of the Berlin Wall and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbaciov’s visit to the Vatican – Pope St. John Paul II hoped that, with a trip to Moscow, he could finally certify his concept of a Europe breathing with two lungs.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/18/pope_francis_sends_condolences_for_barcelona_terror_attack/1331471

Pope Francis sends condolences for ‘cruel’ Barcelona terror attack
18/08/2017 13:45

Pope Francis said he prays for victims of the terrorist attack on Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain - AP
(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis on Friday sent a telegram expressing his condolences for the victims of the terrorist attack on Barcelona, in which at least 13 people died and more than a hundred were injured.

Pope Francis expressed his “deepest sympathy” for the victims of Thursday’s terrorist attack on Barcelona “Las Ramblas Boulevard” with a telegram to the city’s Archbishop, Cardinal Juan José Omella.

The telegram was signed by Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin.

Pope Francis condemned the “blind violence” manifested in the attack, saying it is “a grave offense to the Creator”.

He prayed for those who “lost their lives to such an inhuman act”.

“In these moments of sorrow and pain,” the Pope “wishes also to offer his support and closeness to the many injured, to their families, and to all Catalan and Spanish society,” it read.

Turning to the future, Pope Francis said he raises his “prayers to the Most High that He help us continue to work with determination for peace and harmony in the world.”

Finally, the Holy Father imparted his Apostolic Blessing “upon all the victims, their families, and the beloved Spanish people”.

Please find below the official English translation of the telegram:
 
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/18/pope_sends_condolences_to_victims_of_portugal_accident/1331448
Pope sends condolences to victims of Portugal accident on Madeira
18/08/2017 13:06

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/16/pope_francis_prays_for_victims_of_sierra_leone_mudslide/1331015
Pope Francis prays for victims of Sierra Leone mudslide
16/08/2017 12:50

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/no-pope-francis-did-not-beatify-roberto-clemente-68763/

No, Pope Francis did not beatify Roberto Clemente

San Juan, Puerto Rico, Aug 18, 2017 / 03:14 pm (CNA).- Sports fans in the U.S. and beyond may be disappointed to learn that reports of baseball Hall-of-Famer Roberto Clemente being recently beatified by Pope Francis are nothing more than fake news.

Vatican officials confirmed to the Washington Post that rumors of Pope Francis beatifying the Pittsburgh Pirates star are false.

The rumors appear to have originated with a Christian News Wire post late last month, and were slowly picked up by other media outlets and social media accounts.

The Christian News Wire article quotes Richard Rossi, who has been pushing for Clemente’s canonization after directing a film about the baseball star’s life, entitled “Baseball’s Last Hero.”
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/19/vatican_releases_logo,_motto_of_pope_francis%e2%80%99_visit_to_peru/1331690

Vatican releases logo, motto of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Peru
19/08/2017 18:00

Official Logo of Pope Francis' visit to Peru in January - RV
(Vatican Radio)  The Vatican has released the official logo and motto for Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Peru, which takes place on 18-21 January 2018.

“United for Hope” (Unidos por la esperanza) is the official motto for the Journey, signifying that the encounter will be “a great feast of hope to be received in unity”.

Logo

The logo expresses the Pope’s closeness to the Peruvian people and his accompaniment of their journey of faith.

Two outstretched hands under the motto and date of the visit evoke the colors of the Peruvian and Vatican flags: red and yellow, respectively.

They form the shape of wings as a sign of prayer, praise, and joy for the arrival of Pope Francis in Peru.

To the left, Pope Francis joyfully reaches out of a map of Peru in a sign of closeness to the country and of unity with it.

Third papal visit to Peru

Pope Francis becomes the second Pope to visit Peru, following Pope St. John Paul II’s two visits in 1985 and 1988.
 

[grace-land]

https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/08/19/vatican-delegate-every-indication-medjugorje-will-recognized-perhaps-later-year/

Vatican delegate: Every indication Medjugorje will be recognized, perhaps later this year
August 19, 2017

Pilgrims pray around a statue of Mary on Apparition Hill in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in this Feb. 26, 2011, file photo. (Credit: Paul Haring/CNS.)

A Polish archbishop appointed by Pope Francis to study the pastoral situation surrounding Medjugorje says the apparitions in the Bosnian town could be recognized by the Vatican later this year.

Archbishop Henryk Hoser was appointed by the pope in February to study the pastoral care given to the town’s residents and visiting pilgrims.

The city is a pilgrimage hub because of the reported apparitions, with millions arriving each year to climb the Mount Podbrdro, a steep and rock-strewn path that ascends to the actual location where the Virgin allegedly first appeared, and at times is believed to continue to do so.

In 1981, Medjugorje was an unexceptional farming community of some 400 Croatian families in the former Yugoslavia, and most believe it would still be one had it not been for the regular Marian messages.

RELATED: Papal envoy compares Medjugorje to officially approved Lourdes

The local bishops of the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno have been skeptical about the phenomenon since it allegedly began, back in 1981, when Our Lady Queen of Peace first allegedly appeared to a group of seers, and continues to do so.

The current bishop, Ratko Peri, reiterated his belief the apparitions were not genuine in February, after Hoser’s appointment was announced.

The mission entrusted to Hoser was not to determine the veracity of the alleged apparitions, and he has said it has a “supplementary character” to the study made by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was led by Italian Cardinal Camillo Ruini.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/20/pope_condemns_“inhuman_violence”_of_recent_terror_attacks/1331775

Pope condemns “inhuman violence” of recent terror attacks
20/08/2017 12:29

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday expressed his sorrow for a series of deadly terror attacks in recent days and condemned the “inhuman violence” that spawned them. His remarks came after his Angelus address to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

Please see below a translation into English of the Pope’s remarks after the Angelus prayer:

“We carry in our hearts the pain over the terroristic attacks in recent days that have claimed numerous victims in Burkina Faso, in Spain and in Finland.” Let us pray for those who died, for the wounded and for their families and let us implore the Lord, the God of mercy and of peace, to free the world from this inhuman violence.”

Earlier before the recitation of the Marian prayer, Pope Francis reflected on the Gospel reading where Jesus healed the daughter of the Canaanite woman, describing the mother as an example of perseverance and having a “courageous and unshakable faith.”
 
https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-the-need-for-unwavering-faith/
Angelus Address: On the Need for Unwavering Faith  
August 20, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGINKYJxn_M
2017.08.20 Angelus Domini

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/20/pope_francis_sends_message_to_rimini_meeting/1331721

Pope Francis sends message to Rimini meeting of friendship among peoples
20/08/2017 14:30

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis on Sunday sent a message to the annual “Rimini Meeting for friendship among peoples”, inviting them to be aware of the need for God”.

In a message signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis greeted the participants in the Rimini Meeting and told them not to be “taken aback by difficulties and suffering”.

The theme of this year’s event, taking place in the Italian city of Rimini, is taken from the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “What you inherit from your father must first be earned before it's yours.”

Pope Francis said this “is the task to which Mother Church calls each generation.”

“We are not allowed either to watch reality from the balcony, nor to sit comfortably on the couch to watch the world pass by on TV. Only by earning the truth, beauty, and goodness given us by our parents can we live the epochal changes in which we are immersed as an opportunity and as an occasion to communicate convincingly with others the joy of the Gospel,” he said.
 

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http://www.lastampa.it/2017/08/18/vaticaninsider/eng/the-vatican/parolin-to-russia-from-to-august-meeting-with-putin-in-sochi-YIR25N9S4tsKV3R6SkiXDI/pagina.html

Parolin to Russia from 21 to 24 August, meeting with Putin in Sochi
Pubblicato il  18/08/2017

Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, will be in Russia from Monday 21 to Thursday 24 August. Just a few days before departure, the Holy See Press Office officially confirms the trip and provides the exact dates and details of the journey. Pope Francis’ main collaborator will meet in Moscow, on the day of his arrival- Monday 21 August, the “Foreign Minister” of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow and of all Russia, the Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, Hilarion Akfeyev. The following day (August 22), the Cardinal will meet Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov in the morning and Russian Patriarch Kirill in the afternoon.

On Wednesday, August 23, the Venetian clergyman will fly to Sochi, on the Black Sea, to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in his dacha . Thursday, 24 Parolin will return to Rome. Among various topics he will discuss issues relating to “the international situation and, in particular, the search for peaceful solutions to ongoing conflicts with a special focus on humanitarian issues”
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/21/pope_francis_calls_for_a_shared_response_to_migration_issue/1331892

Pope Francis calls for a shared response to challenge of contemporary migration
21/08/2017 11:48

Pope Francis blesses faithful during his visit in Lampedusa Island, south Italy. - ANSA

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis’ message for the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees was released on Monday under the title, “Welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating migrants and refugees. In the message the Pope calls for a shared response to the challenges of contemporary migration, adding that "in order to achieve the desired outcome, the contribution of political communities and civil societies is indispensable."
 
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/21/popes_message_for_world_day_of_migrants_and_refugees_/1331873
Pope's message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees is released
21/08/2017 11:05

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/21/pope_methodists_and_waldensians__full_christian_unity/1331917

Pope encourages Methodists and Waldensians to walk path to full Christian unity
21/08/2017 13:37

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has urged Methodist and Waldensian Churches to continue to walk together with the Catholic Church on the path towards full Christian unity pointing out that in a world lacerated by violence and fear it is all the more important to live and to convey the Christian message of welcome and fraternity. 

The Pope’s words of friendship and closeness came in a message on Monday to the annual Synod of the Italian Methodist and Waldensian Churches taking place in Torre Pellice - near Turin - from 20 to 25 August.

Recalling recent encounters between the Churches and a shared celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, the Pope said “May Jesus’ gaze brighten our relationship so that it is never just formal or proper, but fraternal and lively.”

“The Good Shepherd – he continued – wants us to walk together and his gaze embraces all of his disciples whom He wants to see fully united”.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/the-holy-fathers-letter-to-the-methodist-and-waldensian-churches/
Letter to the Methodist and Waldensian Churches 
August 21, 2017

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/21/vatican_releases_logo,_motto_for_trip_to_chile_in_january/1331848

Vatican releases logo, motto for trip to Chile in January 2018
21/08/2017 10:11

The official logo of Pope Francis' visit to Chile, reading "My peace I give you"

(Vatican Radio)  The Vatican has released the official logo and motto for Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Chile, which takes place on 15-18 January 2018.

The Pope visits Chile ahead of his trip to Peru on 18-21 January.

Motto

“My peace I give you” is the motto for his visit to Chile, taken from the Gospel of John 14:27.

A communique from the National Commission for the Apostolic Journey says the motto is “recognizable by all, Catholics and non-Catholics”.

“The Pope with this visit exhorts all to a ‘culture of encounter’, favoring a climate of unity for the Chilean people,” it reads.

Logo
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/08/23/pope_audience_christian_hope_is_gods_heavenly_welcome/1332305

Pope Audience: Christian hope is God's heavenly welcome
23/08/2017 12:20

(Vatican Radio) During his General Audience on Wednesday the Pope continued his catechesis on Christian hope reflecting on the hope contained in our ultimate destination, the heavenly Kingdom of God.

Pope Francis explained that on life’s pilgrimage “we encounter the God of surprises who treats us with infinite tenderness, like a father welcoming his children home after a long and difficult journey. “

He went on to say that, even if many experience life as a prolonged period of suffering, such as people haunted by violence and war, there is still “a Father who weeps with infinite compassion for his children, and who waits to console them with a very different future.”

He noted in particular the recent attacks in Barcelona, and sad news coming out of the Democratic Republic of Congo that made headline news.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/general-audience-we-are-people-of-spring-more-than-autumn-full-text/
General Audience: “We are People of Spring more than Autumn” (full text) 
August 23, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6qE7hAmBs
2017.08.23 General Audience

[grace-land]

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/7667/0/-trusting-and-constructive-dialogue-between-russia-and-the-vatican-says-president-putin-

'Trusting and constructive dialogue' between Russia and the Vatican, says President Putin
23 August 2017 | by Christopher Lamb

PICTURE: President Vladimir Putin (L) and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican's Secretary of State, shake hands during a meeting at Bocharov Ruchei residence on 23 August

'This visit and meeting are taking place at an important time with regard to our bilateral interstate relations'

President Vladimir Putin says there is a “trusting and constructive dialogue” between Russia and the Holy See as he met with the Vatican’s top diplomat to discuss international crises including Syria and the plight of Christians in the Middle East.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin met the president this afternoon at his residence in Sochi, a city on the shores of the Black Sea, for discussions which the Kremlin said would focus on the “key issues” of Russia-Vatican relations along with major international issues.

The cardinal, who is the Holy See’s Secretary of State, is the highest ranking Vatican figure to visit Russia in almost 20 years and his trip is part of Pope Francis’ hopes to build closer links with the country.