Pope receives Lebanese, Haitian presidents

November 23, 2012 - Pope Benedict XVI on Friday received in private audience president Michel Sleiman of Lebanon. The Lebanese president is in Rome to attend Saturday’s consistory in which the Pope will create six new cardinals, including Lebanese Patriarch Bechara Boutros Raï of Antioch of the Maronites. Among the gifts Sleiman gave the Pope was a photo album of the Pontiff’s Sept. 14-16 visit to Lebanon. Earlier on Thursday Pope Benedice received another head of state - President Michel Joseph Martelly of Haiti, who later met Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States. The Vatican said the cordial talks acknowledged the good relations between the Holy See and Haiti. They also appreciated the special contribution offered by the Church through her educational, social and charitable institutions, especially in the wake of the 2010 earthquake and long-term reconstruction. The meeting concluded with discussions that emphasized the "importance of continuing collaboration for the harmonious development of Haitian society."