At a meeting with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani at the Vatican last week Pope Francis said he had “high hopes for peace”.
While Francis usually asks those he meets for their prayers, the Shia cleric pre-empted the Pope’s request and said: “I ask you to pray for me.”
The pair talked privately for 40 minutes with the aid of translators. The president had a separate meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State.
The recent international agreement limiting Iran’s nuclear programme was discussed as well as “the important role Iran is called on to play with other nations in the region in promoting adequate political solutions to the problems that afflict the Middle East, opposing the spread of terrorism and arms trafficking”, the Vatican said in a written communiqué.
When the Pope convened a Middle East summit at the Vatican in 2014, he said that arms trafficking was the root of many problems in the region.
During the meeting the two men also underlined “the importance of inter-religious dialogue and the responsibility of religious communities in promoting reconciliation, tolerance and peace”, the Vatican said.
“During the cordial conversations, common spiritual values were highlighted” and “the good state of relations between the Holy See and the Islamic Republic of Iran” was recognised, the Vatican said.
Mention was made of how the Church in Iran and the Holy See seek to promote “the dignity of the human person and religious freedom”, the statement added.
The Pope gave Mr Rouhani a large medallion of St Martin of Tours giving his cloak to a poor man.
Francis to appoint more than 1,000 missionaries of mercy
More than 1,000 “missionaries of mercy” from all over the world will receive a special mandate from Pope Francis to preach and teach about God’s mercy, Archbishop Rino Fisichella has said.
The president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation, the office organising events for the Year of Mercy, said about 700 of the missionaries who were chosen by Pope Francis will be in Rome to receive their special mandate in person during an Ash Wednesday ceremony in St Peter’s Basilica.
For the holy year Pope Francis said he would designate “missionaries of mercy” to be unique signs of God’s mercy. He is also giving them special authority to absolve sins that carry penalties that only the Holy See can lift.
At a press conference Archbishop Fisichella said there had been a huge response from priests and religious men who requested to serve as special missionaries. As a result the number was raised from 800 to 1,071, he said.
The pontifical council will send out to bishops a list of the names and personal contact details and it will then be up to bishops to reach out to a missionary on the list to invite him to his diocese, he said.
Pope: don’t despair over vocations
Respond to the crisis of vocations with intensified prayer, rather than despair or a lax admissions process, Pope Francis urged women and men religious on Monday.
He said he was tempted to lose hope, too, asking God: “What is happening? Why is the womb of consecrated life sterile?” The vocations process must be approached “with seriousness, and one must discern well that this is a true vocation and help it grow”, he told members of religious orders.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.