Pope Leo XIV received Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the Vatican on Thursday, in one of the president’s final international engagements before leaving office on August 7.The private audience took place in the Apostolic Library of the Apostolic Palace. Following the meeting with the Pope, Petro met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and with Archbishop Daniel Pacho, Undersecretary for the Multilateral Sector of the Section for Relations with States, according to the Holy See.
During the talks at the Secretariat of State, “satisfaction was expressed for the good relations between Colombia and the Holy See,” the Vatican Press Office said in a brief statement. The two sides also noted “the positive and constant collaboration between the Church and the State in favor of promoting peace, reconciliation and national unity.”The discussions covered the socio-political situation in Colombia and the region, “paying special attention to the repercussions of conflicts, international organized crime and climate change,” the statement added.This was the second time Pope Leo XIV has received President Petro. The first meeting took place in May of last year at the Vatican, on the occasion of the Mass inaugurating his pontificate.