Pope Francis meets President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received in audience on Friday President Laura Chinchilla
Miranda of Costa Rica. This was followed by a meeting between the Costa Rican head
of state and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Holy See's Secretary for Relations
with States.
A statement from the Vatican issued afterwards said the talks
were cordial and both sides stressed the collaboration between Church and State in
tackling various social problems and noted their common concern over protecting human
life and the environment. The two parties also discussed the possibility of reaching
an accord between Costa Rica and the Holy See aimed at strengthening bilateral relations
for the well-being and development of the Central American nation. Finally, both
parties discussed the regional situation and a number of international problems and
stressed the need to work for the building of peace.