Pope receives president of Cape Verde

June 03, 2013 - Pope Francis on Monday received in the Vatican President Jorge Carlos Fonseca of Cape Verde. The President later met Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, along with Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti. A Vatican statement said that the cordial talks between the Holy See and the island nation off the coast of West Africa recalled the good relations between them, especially the accord on the juridical status of the Church in the country to be signed soon. The two sides spoke about the cultural and religious identity of the people of Cape Verde, most of whom are Christians, as also the role of the Catholic Church in the country, especially in the education and health sectors. They also talked about some of the challenges of the region and the presence of numerous Cape Verdians overseas.