Pope Francis meets with President of the Republic of Latvia

By Sr. Francine-Marie Cooper, ISSM

Pope Francis received the President of the Republic of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, in audience on Thursday, at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.

After the meeting with the Pope, Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs subsequently met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, accompanied by Fr Daniel Pacho, Undersecretary for the Multilateral Sector of the Section for Relations with States and International Organizations.

A Statement from the Holy See Press Office called the discussions at the Secretariat of State “cordial”, and noted that “satisfaction was expressed for the good relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Latvia, highlighting the importance of the Christian faith in Latvian society.”

During the meeting with the President of the Republic of Latvia, which like Ukraine, was part of the Soviet Union until 1991, particular attention was given to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The role of the international community in seeking peaceful solutions, was noted.

The discussions also covered the challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence and the development of new technologies.

At the end of the audience, the Pope presented the President of the Republic of Latvia with a number of gifts, including a sculptural representation of his teaching on fraternity, volumes of papal documents, and his 2024 message for peace.