By CISA
VATICAN CITY, MARCH 19, 2024 (CISA) – Pope Francis received in audience, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the President of the Republic of the Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, who subsequently met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations on March 16, 2024.
During the cordial discussions, which took place at the Secretariat of State, warm appreciation was expressed for the good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Seychelles, as well as for the contribution of the Catholic Church at the service of society, especially in the welfare and educational spheres.
There was also an exchange of views on the socio-political situation of the country, focusing in particular on themes of mutual interest, including environmental protection and the fight against drug use, as well as the international situation.
At the audience, Pope Francis presented President Ramkalawan, a former Anglican priest, with a bronze sculpture entitled ‘The Care of Creation’ along with several volumes of papal documents, including this year’s Message for Peace and a book on the ‘Statio Orbis’ of March 27, 2020.
On his part, President Ramkalawan accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, gifted the pope with a bronze sculpture of turtles on the sand, as well as a traditional bamboo roof tile.
