U.S. President Donald Trump met Pope Francis on Wednesday morning, spending half an hour in conversation behind closed doors in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace.
The U.S. leader then met with Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, together with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States or foreign minister.
President Trump, who was accompanied by his wife Melania, as well as his daughter and son-in-law, is on the third leg of a nine day presidential tour that has already taken him to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Palestine.
They exchanged gifts at the meeting including writings of Martin Luther King by the president and a sculpted olive tree of peace by the pontiff.
After the papal audience, President Trump was taken on a tour of St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, before going onto Rome’s Quirinale palace for a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
Melania Trump, meanwhile, was scheduled to visit Rome’s Bambin Gesù Children’s Hospital, while his daughter, Ivanka, will meet with trafficked victims who are being cared for by the Sant’Egidio community.
ENDS
