Pope receives Sri Lankan President

(June 08, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI received visiting Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, in the Vatican on Friday and held private talks with him for some 10 minutes. Rajapaksa later met Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti. A Vatican statement said that during the cordial talks the two sides reviewed steps being taken in the south Asian nation for socio-economic development and reconciliation among the communities hit by the long internal conflict that has torn apart the nation. They also wished that "a global and shared solution could be quickly reached, that will fulfil the legitimate aspirations of all the parties involved.” Both sides also underscored how the Catholic Church that offers important contribution to the life of the nation through her religious witness and educational, healthcare and charity activities, will continue to engage in the common good, reciprocal understanding and the integral development of all citizens.
Rajapaksa was accompanied by a delegation of 8 men and two women, including his wife who is a Catholic. Rajapaksa, who is Buddhist, gifted the Pope a silver vase and a large terracotta vase full of Sri Lankan spices. The Pontiff reciprocated with a glazed pottery piece and a pair of 17^th century etchings of St. Peter’s Square.