Pope meets prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

(April 25, 2009) Pope Benedict on Saturday morning received in private audience visiting Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a small island nation in the Caribbean Sea. Later, Gonsalves also held talks with Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and Vatican Secretary for Relation with States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti. A Vatican statement said the cordial talks reviewed important political issues of the region. Social, ethical and religious issues of St. Vincent and the Grenadines were also examined, the statement said. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which gained independence from British rule in 1979, has a population of some 104 thousand, mostly Protestants. 13 percent are Catholics.