Pope meets with Hollande to discuss terrorism.
Pope Francis will meet with the President of France, François Hollande; he met with Hollande on January 24, 2014, and this new audience will take place less than a month after the assassination of Father Jacques Hamel, beheaded in a terrorist attack in Rouen and claimed by the extremist group Islamic State (IS); fundamentalist terrorism, the attacks in France (from Charlie Hebdo, through the Bataclan, to Nice and Rouen), the fight against the Islamic State, the protection of Christians in the Middle East, and the situation in Europe are on the agenda of the meeting.
Ansa -Pope Francis will meet today (17) with the President of France, François Hollande. Although defined as a "private visit", the meeting has all the characteristics of an official meeting with a head of state. The meeting will take place at the Vatican.
The Pope met with Hollande on January 24, 2014, and this new audience will take place less than a month after the assassination of Father Jacques Hamel, who was beheaded in a terrorist attack in Rouen and claimed by the Islamic State group (ISIS). The attack occurred on July 26 and shocked the Catholic Church. On that occasion, Jorge Mario Bergoglio and Hollande spoke by telephone, and the Pope made a strong criticism of terrorism.
Fundamentalist terrorism, the attacks in France (from Charlie Hebdo, through the Bataclan, to Nice and Rouen), the fight against the Islamic State, the protection of Christians in the Middle East, and the situation in Europe are on the agenda for the meeting. The meeting between the Pope and Hollande should also end a period of diplomatic estrangement, following the Holy See's delay in accepting the credentials of Ambassador Laurent Stefanini, who is openly gay. A year of impasse led France to abandon the nomination and nominate another diplomat for the position.