A Rare Meeting Between The Pope And Iran’s Leader

Pope Francis and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the Vatican before talks on Tuesday.

Italian officials keen to spare the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, any possible offence on his visit to Rome covered up nude statues at the city’s Capitoline Museum, where Mr Rouhani and Matteo Renzi, the Italian prime minister, made a joint statement.

 President Rouhani on Tuesday visited Pope Francis in the Vatican in the first meeting between a pontiff and an Iranian leader since 1999.

Sound Off! CatholicCulture.org supporters weigh in. The Iranian leader then presented the pope with a red-toned carpet made in the ancient city of Qhom.

After speaking with the Pope, Rouhani subsequently met with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, as well as the Secretary of Relations with the States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

Rouhani also pledged that Tehran would do nothing to jeopordize its stability, adding that economic growth could help beat terrorism in the region.

An imposing equestrian statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius dominated the room where Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met on Monday.

Francis, in turn, gave Rouhani a medal depicting a famous act by the 4th century St. Martin: giving part of his coat to a cold beggar – a gesture Francis called “a sign of unsolicited brotherhood”. He will visit the Colosseum Wednesday morning before flying on to Paris.

Rouhani arrived at the Vatican late in the morning for the one-on-one with the pope, a day after arriving in the Italian capital for high-level diplomatic and business talks.

Call it a cover up: Nude statues were hidden in Rome in an apparent attempt not to offend the visiting president of socially-conservative Iran.

Rouhani told reporters the political talks leading to the nuclear deal could provide the blueprint for pursuing peace in the Middle East. The deal is worth between $4 billion and $5 billion, according to Reuters. Rouhani had championed that nuclear deal since his 2013 election, seeing it as important to bringing Iran more into the fold internationally.

In response, and in apparent recognition of the Pope’s high moral standing worldwide, embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sent a message of appreciation for Francis’ words and his support for a peaceful resolution “through national dialogue”. Mattei (1906-1962) organized Italy’s Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (ENI) state-owned fuel company after World War II, and negotiated oil deals with Iran and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

This is the first time an Iranian president has officially visited Europe in 16 years.