Pope meets French president

(October 8, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday received French president Nicolas Sarkozy in the Vatican and the two leaders discussed the Middle East situation and ethical issues in economics. The Vatican said in a statement that the cordial talks centred on international political issues, such as the peace process in the Middle East, the situation of Christians in various countries and broader representation of the various regions of the world in multilateral organizations. Subsequently they also underscored the importance of the ethical and social dimension in economics in the light of Pope Benedict’s social encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” (Charity in Truth). The Vatican said, Pope Benedict and Sarkozy affirmed their desire to maintain a permanent dialogue at various levels and to continue collaborating constructively in questions of common interest. Later, Sarkozy met Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.