Pope Francis meets President of Malta

Pope Francis received President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca of Malta in the Vatican on Thursday.  She and her team later met Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, along with Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, Undersecretary for Relations with States.

During the cordial discussions, the two sides evoked the constructive relations that unite the Holy See and the Republic of Malta, according to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office.

They also discussed the collaboration between the Catholic Church and the State in favour of the human, social, cultural, and spiritual progress of the population, in particular the young, in the light of the centuries-long contribution that Catholicism has offered the country.

Attention then turned to themes of common interest, with particular reference to the prospects of European integration and issues relating to the situation of the Mediterranean area, such as the migratory phenomenon, cooperation in development and interreligious dialogue.