Pope receives President of Albania

Pope Francis and President Bajram Begaj of Albania meet in the Vatican and remember the communist regime's religious persecution of Christians and the Albanian people's efforts to protect Jewish people.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Pope Francis received the President of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Bajram Begaj, in the Vatican on Monday, at which time, they recalled the harsh religious persecution of Christians under communism and the protection offered by the Albanian people to Jews.

Following his meeting with the Pope, the President met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.

According to a statement issued by the Holy See Press Office, the discussions held at the Secretariat of State were "cordial," expressing appreciation "for the positive bilateral relations," and mentioning "some open questions in the relations between Church and State."

"Attention," the communiqué noted, "then turned to Albania’s path to membership of the European Union and various international issues, with a focus on the Western Balkans region and the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine."

At the end of the audience, the Pope presented the President of Albania with a number of gifts, including a bronze sculpture, volumes of papal documents, and his 2024 message for peace.

Pope Francis made an Apostolic Journey to Albania's capital of Tirana on 21 September 2014.