Pope Francis receives the President of the Swiss Confederation

Vatican News

Pope Francis, on Friday  received in audience the President of the Swiss Confederation, Mr. Ignazio Cassis, on the occasion of the commemoration of the sacrifice of the 147 Swiss Guards killed on May 6, 1527, during the Sack of Rome, and of the solemn swearing-in of 36 new rescruits in the Pontifical Corps.

The Swiss  leader subsequently met  the Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. 

A statement from the Holy See Press Office said the talks focused on the good bilateral relations, and that both parties noted with satisfaction that “the transfer of the Swiss Embassy to the Holy See to Rome" is "sign of the desire to intensify mutual contacts to foster collaboration in sectors of common interest, especially in the area of promoting justice and peace".

The ongoing war in Ukraine and its repercussions in Europe, with particular reference  to the situation of Ukrainian refugees and displaced people in need of humanitarian assistance, were also anoter topic of discussion during the talks.

Exchange of gifts

At the end of an audience which lasted about thirty minutes, Pope Francis donated a bronze medal with engraved the words of the Prophet Isaiah in Chapter 32: “Then the wilderness will become garden land” and some documents,  including his Message for the LV World Day of Peace 2022  and the Encyclycal Letter ‘Fratelli Tutti’.  For his part Mr Cassis gave the Pope a reproduction of a section of the Bourbaki Panorama in Lucerne.