(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday afternoon met with the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
The two met for over 90 minutes in the Studio of the Paul VI Audience Hall. During the meeting, President Fernández de Kirchner expressed the affection felt for the Pope by the people of Argentina, and asked for the Pope’s blessings on his countrymen.
After his meeting with the President, Pope Francis met with the delegation accompanying the president on her trip to Italy. The president will attend the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference, as well as meet Italian officials, before travelling to the Expo Milan.
The president brought several gifts for the Pope, including a portrait of Blessed Oscar Romero by Argentine artist Eugenio Cuttica; a book by Alberto Methol-Ferré, a favorite author of Francis Pope (“Los Continentales estados y el Mercosur”); an edition of the national poem “Martin Fierro”, which has been cited by Pope Francis; two bas-reliefs for the blind, with their titles written in Braille, which represent the Virgin of Lujan, and a portrait of the Pope; a basket with typical Argentine food and an important volume on the architectural heritage of Argentina published for the nation’s bicentennial.
For his part, Pope Francis gave the president a reproduction of a Russian icon of the eleventh century, depicting the “Virgin of Tenderness”.
The encounter was the fifth meeting between Pope Francis and President Fernández de Kirchner since his election to the Papacy.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday afternoon met with the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. The two met for over 90 minutes in the Studio of the Paul VI Audience Hall. During the meeting, President Fernández de Kirchner expressed the affection felt for the Pope by the people of Argentina, and asked for…
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(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…
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(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….
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis spoke with reporters on the return flight from Sarajevo to Rome on Saturday. In response to the journalists’ questions, the Holy Father touched on a number of topics ranging from global peace and security to the need for prudence in choosing what television programmes to watch and how much time to spend on-line.
“There are two different elements here: method and content. Regarding the method or way of doing things, there is one that is bad for the soul and that is being too attached to the computer,” said Pope Francis. “Secondly, the content,” he continued. “[T]here is a lot of filth that ranges from pornography to semi-pornographic content, to programmes that are empty, devoid of values; relativism and consumerism foment all this,” said the Holy Father, “and we know that consumerism is a cancer of society, relativism is a cancer of society.”
The Holy Father also mentioned the process of evaluation of the claims of miraculous apparitions at Medjugorje (ongoing, and nearing completion), and confirmed that his new encyclical will be out before the end of this month.
(from Vatican Radio)…