(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, this morning at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. A communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See says the Pope and the President held cordial discussions in which they covered a number of topics, including the role of religion in society and the importance of religious liberty. The leaders expressed satisfaction at the resumption of negotiations to end the four-decade division of the island between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Below, please find the full text of the statement from the Press Office of the Holy See:******************************
This morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received the
President of the Republic of Cyprus, His Excellency Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, who subsequently
went on to meet with His Excellency Archbishop Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, accompanied
by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.
During the cordial discussions, which highlighted the good relations between the Holy See
and the Republic of Cyprus, mention was made of several matters of common interest, such as
the positive role of religion in society and the protection of the right to religious freedom.
Satisfaction was expressed at the resumption of negotiations aiming at the development of a
shared solution to the Island’s current situation.
Finally, the Parties indicated their concern regarding the political instability affecting the region of the Near and Middle East, which leads to great suffering on the part of civilian populations, and shared their hope that the Christian communities in the various countries may continue to offer their contribution to building a future of material and spiritual wellbeing.
Text from Vatican Radio website
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