Pope Francis meets British royals Charles and Camilla
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met in the Vatican on Tuesday
with the heir to the British throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the
Duchess of Cornwall.
The meeting came on the fourth day of an Italian tour which
has taken the prince to the northern city of Vicenza for a First World War
commemoration, to the earthquake hit town of Amatrice in central Italy, and to
Florence, where he visited a Caritas-run project for immigrants, the elderly
and single mothers.
The Duchess also spent a day in Naples meeting with
trafficked women and youngsters with learning difficulties at a former Mafia
villa which was confiscated by the State.
A press release from the British embassy to the Holy See
said that during the papal audience in the Paul VI hall the pope and the prince
talked about a number of topics of mutual interest.
They also exchanged gifts: Pope Francis gave the royal
couple a bronze representation of an olive branch, and copies of his three
major documents, ‘Laudato Sì’, ‘Evangelii Gaudium’ and ‘Amoris
Laetitia’.
Prince Charles presented the Holy Father with a hamper of
food from the royal estate at Highgrove, to be shared among the poor and
homeless.
The half hour private meeting was reportedly relaxed and
informal, marking the prince’s fourth visit to the Vatican but his first encounter
with Pope Francis. Given their shared concern for the environment, it’s likely
that protection of the planet featured prominently in the conversation.
Accepting an award in Florence on Monday, the prince spoke
of the interdependence of human beings with the natural world, as well as
highlighting the vital contribution of the UK and Italy to global peacekeeping.
Interfaith dialogue may also have been a topic for
discussion: among those meeting the prince earlier in the day at the Venerable
English College was English Cardinal Vincent Nichols and four Muslim leaders
from the UK, who will have their own papal audience on Wednesday morning.
Before leaving the Vatican Prince Charles met with Cardinal
Pietro Parolin, the Holy See Secretary of State. The royal couple were also
given a tour of the Vatican library and secret archives, allowing them to see
some of the priceless historical documents preserved in both collections.
These included the last letter written by condemned Mary
Queen of Scots in 1587, before her execution for treason; another letter by
Pope Paul IV condemning Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, one of the leaders of the
English Reformation; and a letter by King Charles I approving the appointment
of his ambassador in Rome.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét