French President Macron meets Pope Francis for the third time ⁰

French President Emmanuel Macron and Pope Francis held nearly an hour of private talks on Monday, part of Macron’s trip to Italy to attend an international conference.

Macron, accompanied by his wife Brigitte, arrived at the Vatican and was greeted with an honour guard of Swiss Guards in the San Damaso courtyard before taking an elevator to the official papal study in the Apostolic Palace.

Francis, 85, was using a walking stick due to a painful knee, but looked cheerful as he chatted with Macron and posed for photographs with the French leader and his wife.

The two leaders then discussed “the conflict in Ukraine, with special attention to the humanitarian situation”, the Vatican said in a statement. “Particular consideration was given to the region of the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Africa,” it said. The Vatican said their private talks lasted 55 minutes.

Macron was escorted through ornate papal palace corridors by Swiss Guards, on his third visit to the Vatican since becoming president.

He gave Francis a 1796 first edition French-language copy of German philosopher Immanuel Kant’s “Perpetual Peace”.

He previously met Francis at the Vatican in June 2018 and less than a year ago, in November 2021.

Macron is in Italy to attend an international conference organised by Italy’s Sant’Egidio Community, a worldwide peace and charity group.

He and the pope will jointly close the conference at a special ceremony at the Colosseum in Rome on Tuesday.

Opening the conference on Rome’s outskirts on Sunday, Macron said he believed there was a chance for peace in Ukraine, even as Russia warned the conflict could escalate.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)