Currents News Staff
While on a political-agenda based visit to Italy, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a stop in the Vatican for his third meeting with Pope Francis during his six-year pontificate.
Continuing his usual tardy pattern, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived one hour late for his meeting with Pope Francis, just as he had done the previous two times.
It was a cordial meeting where the two leaders met for nearly one hour in private. A Vatican press release said topics of discussion were Venezuela, Syria and the Ukraine.
The two leaders also mentioned the situation for Catholics in Russia and the agreement signed between the Vatican’s Bambino Gesù hospital and Russian pediatric hospitals.
“I want to express to you the sincere and joyful satisfaction of the Holy Father with whom I was able to speak to immediately after the meeting with the Russian President,” said Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti.
During his pontificate, Pope Francis has made headway with the Russian Orthodox Church. He was the first pope to meet with a Russian Orthodox patriarch since the Christian church was divided into East and West in 1054.
This was Vladimir Putin’s sixth time at the Vatican. He had met John Paul II twice, Benedict XVI once and this meeting concluded his third encounter with Pope Francis.