Pope Leo XIV receives Giorgia Meloni: audience date set

Tomorrow, Wednesday 2 July , Pope Leo XIV will receive Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni , in an audience scheduled in the Apostolic Palace at 11:30 . The Vatican press office made the announcement.

Pope Leo XIV to receive Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

The meeting, which will take place behind closed doors , will be a moment of direct confrontation between the Pope and the Prime Minister, with an eye on the great global challenges .

A few days ago, the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, reported that the visit of the Prime Minister would take place before Pope Prevost reached the seat of Castel Gandolfo, starting on July 6. On Friday, June 6, the official visit to the Holy Father by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella had already taken place. Following the private conversation with Pope Prevost, the Head of State met with Secretary of State Parolin. “During the cordial discussions in the Secretariat of State,” the press office explained at the time, “satisfaction was expressed for the good existing bilateral relations . We focused on issues of an international nature , with particular attention to the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. In the continuation of the conversation, some issues of a social nature were addressed, with special reference to the contribution of the Church to the life of the country.”

Themes of the next meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Giorgia Meloni

Giorgia Meloni 's visit to Pope Leo XIV follows the week that the Prime Minister spent between The Hague and Brussels , between the NATO summit on rearmament and the European Council dedicated to the Middle East and Ukraine . On these occasions, the Prime Minister expressed her desire to broaden the international front that pushes for a " ceasefire " in Gaza . As highlighted by the press release following the meeting between Mattarella and Parolin, there will also be internal issues that could be addressed by Pope Leo XIV and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Previous exchanges between Pope Leo XIV and Prime Minister Meloni

The last informal greeting between the Holy Father and the Prime Minister took place at the recent Jubilee of Governors on Saturday 21 June, when Pope Leo XIV gave a speech in which he addressed both the issue of the fight against inequality and the value of natural law. On that occasion, Meloni asked the Pontiff, in line to shake his hand: “Have you had time to settle down in the meantime?” Prevost replied with a smile. Later on Instagram, the Prime Minister assured her that she would treasure the “ precious teachings that Pope Leo XIV gave us on the occasion of the Jubilee of Governors and Administrators . He reminded us that politics must be interpreted as a mission and not as a profession, and he called on anyone who holds political and responsible positions to never lose sight of the dignity of the person, to always work for the good of the community, to protect the family and life and to promote the integral education of young people ”. Furthermore, on May 20, the Prime Minister had a telephone conversation with the Pontiff "on the steps to be taken to build a just and lasting peace in Ukraine." A conversation that followed the telephone call "between Meloni and President Trump and other European leaders , during which the Italian Prime Minister was asked to verify the availability of the Holy See to host the negotiations. Finding in the Holy Father confirmation of the willingness to host the next talks between the parties in the Vatican , the Prime Minister expressed deep gratitude for the openness of Pope Leo XIV and for his unceasing commitment to peace ," as reported in a note from Palazzo Chigi.