On the morning of this Friday, October 11, Pope Francis received in the audience, Mr. Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, President of the Government of Spain, in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican. This was reported by the Press Office of the Holy See in a statement indicating that “later, the Secretary of State met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.”

The traditional exchange of gifts

The meeting, which lasted approximately 35 minutes, was also an opportunity to exchange some gifts. Pope Francis gave the Spanish Prime Minister a clay work entitled “Tenderness and Love,” inspired by his homily of March 19, 2013, in which he calls for the care of creation. In addition, the Pontiff gave him a copy of the Message for this year’s World Day of Peace, a copy of the Document on Human Fraternity, the 2020 Statio Orbis book, and a volume on the Papal Apartments for audiences. For his part, Mr. Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón reciprocated with a box of commemorative coins made on the occasion of the anniversary of the death of Pablo Picasso.

The talks at the Secretariat of State

Likewise, the Press Office of the Holy See reported that, “the talks at the Secretariat of State allowed for an exchange of points of view on bilateral relations and issues of common interest, in order to foster a fruitful dialogue between the local Church and government authorities, as well as between the different components of civil society.” Finally, it was announced that “some regional and international issues were addressed, with particular attention to ongoing conflicts, noting the importance of an urgent commitment to support peace, as well as the serious migration crisis, especially in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.”