The two leaders expressed their common conviction on the necessity of dialogue and negotiations to resolve conflicts between nations.<\/p>\n
On April 10, Pope Leo XIV received French President Emmanuel Macron for the first time since the beginning of his pontificate. Accompanying Macron was his wife, Brigitte.<\/p>\n
Following the closed-door meeting at the Vatican\u2019s Apostolic Palace that lasted an hour, the French president said he was \u201cvery happy\u201d to have met with the Holy Father, adding that both share \u201ca common conviction: In the face of the world\u2019s divisions, action for peace is a duty and a requirement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrance will always work toward dialogue, justice, and fraternity among peoples,\u201d Macron wrote on X.<\/p>\n
The \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace saw this meeting as an opportunity to \u201crecognize the essential role of the Holy See and the Holy Father\u2019s personal commitment to peace, dialogue, and solidarity among peoples, as well as to demonstrate France\u2019s willingness to work jointly with the Holy See toward this end.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the traditional exchange of gifts, Macron presented Pope Leo XIV with a French national basketball team jersey signed by the players, a book on the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris following the 2019 fire, and a map of the Mississippi region created by French missionaries in 1617.<\/p>\n
French President Emmanuel Macron presents Pope Leo XIV with a French national basketball team jersey in a meeting at the Vatican on April 10, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media<\/p>\n
The pontiff presented the French president with a decorative ceramic tile symbolizing abundance, along with his message for this year\u02bcs World Day of Peace.<\/p>\n
According to the Vatican, Macron subsequently met with the Holy See\u2019s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and international organizations.<\/p>\n
During the meeting at the Secretariat of State, they addressed various international issues, particularly conflicts around the world.<\/p>\n
Both Macron and Vatican officials expressed the hope that peaceful coexistence might be restored through dialogue and negotiation.<\/p>\n
The day before, on April 9, Macron visited the Sant\u2019Egidio Community in Rome, an organization characterized by its promotion of international ecumenical prayer gatherings for peace.<\/p>\n
This story\u00a0was first published\u00a0by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.<\/p>\n