Pope Francis meets with the President of Argentina

(Holy See Press Office) On Sunday afternoon Pope Francis received in a private
audience Mrs. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of the Republic of
Argentina. The very cordial meeting lasted for over an hour and 30 minutes in
the Pope’s Study in the Paul VI Audience Hall. The President wished to show the Pope once again the affection and
closeness of the Argentine people and ask him for his blessing for his
co-nationals.

At the end of the meeting, the Pope and President went to
the adjacent hall where the Pope greeted the large delegation that accompanied
the President on her trip that will continue tomorrow with participation at an FAO
Conference, meetings with Italian authorities and a visit to the Expo of Milan.
Mrs. Fernández de Kirchner honored the Pope with various significant gifts,
most especially a large framed painting of Blessed Bishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero,
a work by Argentine artist Eugenio Cuttica; a book by a much appreciated author
of Pope Francis, Alberto Methol-Ferré: “Los estados continentales y el
Mercosur”; an edition of the famous national poem “Martin Fierro”, often cited
by Pope in his talks; two artistic reliefs for the
vision-impaired with titles in
braille, that represent the Virgin of Lujan and a painting of the Pope; a
basket of typical Argentine food products and an important volume on the architectural
patrimony of Argentina published on the occasion of the bicentenary.

For his part, the Pope gave the President a very
beautiful eleventh century Russian icon of “Our Lady of Tenderness.” This marked the fifth time – including the
visit for the inauguration of the Petrine Ministry of Pope Francis on March 19,
2013 and the meeting during World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro – that the
Argentine president has met Pope Francis.