Pope Francis receives Lithuanian Prime Minister Butkevičius
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday met with the Prime Minister of Lithuania,
Algirdas Butkevičius. A communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See says the
Pope and the Prime Minister used their colloquy to discuss a number of issues of regional
and global import, as well as to highlight the good relations between the parties.
Below, please find the full text of the Communiqué.
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On the morning of Thursday, 19 September 2013 in the Vatican Apostolic Palace,
the Holy Father Francesco received in audience the Prime Minister of the Republic
of Lithuania, Algirdas Butkevičius, who subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal
Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop Dominique
Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States. During the course of the colloquial
discussions, the parties acknowledged the good relations between the Holy See and
the Republic of Lithuania, and focused in particular on the contribution offered
throughout the centuries by the Catholic Church in educational and social fields,
as well as her commitment to the support of families and to improving awareness of spiritual
values. In view of the fact that the Republic of Lithuania currently holds the
presidency of the Council of the European Union, the discussions turned to various
international and European matters of mutual interest. Special mention was made
of the need to ensure peace in the Middle East and in particular in Syria, favouring
a political solution to the crisis through dialogue and negotiation.