Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Vatican City, Jun 21 (RHC) Pope Francis received Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in an audience on Wednesday.

According to a press release published on Wednesday by the Vatican press office, at the meeting, both personalities underlined the good collaboration that exists between the Catholic Church and the Brazilian State, in the interest of the promotion of moral values and the common good.

The Supreme Pontiff and Lula assessed the sociopolitical situation of South America and focused on some themes of common interest, including the promotion of peace and reconciliation, the fight against poverty and inequality, as well as respect for the indigenous peoples, and the protection of the environment.

The Pope presented Lula with this year’s Message for Peace, besides the Document on Human Fraternity, the book on the Statio Orbis of March 27, 2020, and the bronze bas-relief “Peace is a fragile flower”.

The Brazilian president, in turn, presented the Bishop of Rome with a wood engraving by artist Jose Francisco Borges, as well as a statue of Our Lady of Nazareth of Belem.

The Holy See and Brazil have maintained diplomatic relations since 1826 and the institutional framework of dialogue is based on the Agreement on the Legal Status of the Catholic Church in Brazil. (Source: PL)