Central African Republic at the Vatican

This afternoon at the Vatican, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the President of the Central African Republic, His Excellency, Faustin Archange Touadéra, who subsequently met with His Eminence, Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State and with His Excellency, Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.

During the cordial discussions, they focused on the good bilateral relationship that currently exists and the satisfaction at the ratification of the Framework Agreement between the Holy See and the Central African Republic.  In that context, they did not fail to highlight the contribution of the Catholic Church to the building up of that nation and to enhancing the role of Catholic institutions in the fields of education and health.  Special mention was made of the recent inauguration of the Paediatric Hospital of Bangui, for which the President expressed special gratitude to the Pope.

During the remainder of the talks, the Holy Father and the President focused on the current situation in that country, with particular reference to the recent agreement reached by the various political actors, in view of the resolution of conflicts and the integral development of the Central African people. Commitment to promoting peaceful coexistence and national reconciliation was encouraged, as was the effort to put an end to all kinds of violence and to make the return of refugees to their homes possible.