Pontiff meets Guatemala's president

(March 27, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday received in the Vatican Guatemala's President, Álvaro Colom Caballeros, and discussed with him the problems of poverty and emigration in the central American nation. In a brief statement issued after the meeting, the Vatican said that the cordial discussions focussed on the good relations that exist between Church and state, and on the specific contribution the Church makes to the country's development." The two leaders exchanged opinions on the international situation, with particular reference to the challenges of poverty, organised crime and emigration. They also underscored the importance of promoting human life from the moment of conception, and of the role played by education. In statements to the press after the meeting, Colom noted that the meeting was "very good, very energetic," stressing that Pope Benedict is a "very, very human. He spoke a lot of helping those who have the least." The president confirmed that they spoke of "poverty, indigenous populations, and of course, the right to life and everything related to human rights, the environment, concern for climate change and its effects on Guatemala."