Pope Francis meets with Ghana's Vice President

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Before the Pope's Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis received the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, in the “auletta,” or small study, of the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, according to a statement issued by the Holy See Press Office.

After his encounter with the Pope, Dr. Bawumia met with the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.

According to the statement, the talks at the Secretariat of State were "cordial" and highlighted "the good relations between the Holy See and Ghana."

Particular attention, the communiqué noted, was focused on some aspects of the country's political and socio-economic situation, especially regarding collaboration in the fields of education and healthcare.

In the course of the conversation, it added, there also was an exchange of views on current international issues, especially on security problems facing West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.

Pope Francis with Vice President Bawumia of Ghana in the Vatican.