Pope meets Romanian Prime Minister

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta in an audience on Saturday morning. Ponta later met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.

The prime minister brought greetings from Romanian Orthodox Patriarch Daniel. The cordial meeting treated the themes of family, education, religious liberty and the protection of common values in the context of cooperation between the Holy See and Romania at the bilateral level and within the international community.

In highlighting the potential of the Catholic Church to contribute toward the common good in society, certain issues of interest to the Catholic community in Romania were also discussed.

Finally, the two men exchanged opinions on the actual international situation, in particular reiterating the hope that dialogue and negotiation would be pursued in order to bring an end to the various conflicts afflicting the world.