By The two leaders expressed their common conviction on the necessity of dialogue and negotiations to resolve conflicts between nations.
On April 10, Pope Leo XIV received French President Emmanuel Macron for the first time since the beginning of his pontificate. Accompanying Macron was his wife Brigitte.
Following the closed-door meeting at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace that lasted an hour, the French president said that he was “very happy” to have met with the Holy Father, adding that both share “a common conviction: in the face of the world’s divisions, action for peace is a duty and a requirement.”
“France will always work toward dialogue, justice, and fraternity among peoples,” Macron wrote on X.
The Élysée Palace saw this meeting as an opportunity to “recognize the essential role of the Holy See and the Holy Father’s personal commitment to peace, dialogue, and solidarity among peoples, as well as to demonstrate France’s willingness to work jointly with the Holy See toward this end.”
During the traditional exchange of gifts, Macron presented Pope Leo XIV with a French national basketball team jersey signed by the players, a book on the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris following the 2019 fire, and a map of the Mississippi region created by French missionaries in 1617.
The pontiff presented the French president with a decorative ceramic tile symbolizing abundance, along with his message for this yearʼs World Day of Peace.
According to the Vatican, Macron subsequently met with the Holy See’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and international organizations.
During the meeting at the Secretariat of State, they addressed various international issues, particularly conflicts around the world.
Both Macron and Vatican officials expressed the hope that peaceful coexistence might be restored through dialogue and negotiation.
The day before, on April 9, Macron visited the Sant’Egidio Community in Rome, an organization characterized by its promotion of international ecumenical prayer gatherings for peace.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.
Peace is a precious resource. It’s never too late nor too difficult. Dialogue, trust, transparency, and respect can enhance the dignity of the participants in the peace process.
Leo needs to keep the Catholic Church out of politics. Instead, Leo should have admonished Macron to follow Jesus Christ in all things.
France, while technically a “Catholic” country, has traditionally had friction with the Vatican.
While many religious orders were founded in France, since the French Revolution, there has existed tension between the Church and various French Governments. France does have many of the best Cathedrals, going back to happier times.