PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins has enjoyed a private audience with Pope Francis in Rome.
The Irish president met His Holiness at the Pontiff’s Library in the Vatican where the pair discussed “issues of shared interest”, the President’s office confirmed.
The topics covered included “the interlinked global challenges of climate change, migration, global poverty, food security, the rights of indigenous people and global peace,” they added.
President Higgins met with His Holiness Pope Francis at the Pontiff’s Library in the VaticanYesterday’s meeting marked the fourth private engagement between President Higgins and Pope Francis, following previous meetings in the Vatican in 2017 and 2021 and at Áras an Uachtaráin in 2018.
President Higgins also met with Pope Francis at the Papal Inauguration in 2013
During yesterday’s meeting, President Higgins presented the Pope with a sculpture entitled The Expelled by the renowned Irish sculptor John Behan.
“The President chose to present this piece to Pope Francis in recognition of the vital work which the Pope has carried out in drawing public attention to the plight of refugees and migrants across the world,” his office confirmed.
The President and Pope Francis have now had four private meetingsPresident Higgin’s meeting with Pope Francis came within a five-day programme which he is undertaking in Rome to coincide with his participation in the World Food Forum.
On October 16 he delivered addresses at the Opening Session of the Forum and at the annual observance of World Food Day at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
During his speech he warned of the “dysfunctionalities not sufficiently recognised regarding the delivery of food”.
President Higgins presented Pope Francis with sculpture The Expelled by John Behan“To deliver successful food systems, we must recognise the links between food insecurity, global poverty, debt and climate change,” he said
“We must address, too, dysfunctionalities not sufficiently recognised regarding the delivery of food, where success in production is often defeated by costly transportation,” he added.
“The issues of ownership of seeds, fertilisers, tools of production and their distribution, obstacles to the migration of science and technological innovations, questions around the lending policies of the financial institutions cannot continue to be ignored.”
Today (October 20), the President will provide the keynote address at the closing session of the Forum.
