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.