Pope Francis received French President Emmanuel Macron for nearly one hour at the Vatican on Monday. The Holy See Press Office said the conversation centered on the war in Ukraine.
“During the cordial discussions, which took place in the Secretariat of State, the parties focused on matters of an international nature, starting from the conflict in Ukraine, with special attention to the humanitarian situation,” according to Vatican News.
The meeting also covered “the region of the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Africa,” the Holy See said.
The French president’s papal audience on Oct. 24 was the third with Francis.
In February, Catholic bishops across Europe had expressed “deep concern” at Macron’s proposal for abortion to be added to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Group of abuse victims raises concern
Before the meeting on Monday, a group of victims of sexual abuse urged Macron to directly raise the issue of whether the Church in France is too slow in reacting to the landmark investigation of sexual abuse released one year ago.
“It’s about protecting the most vulnerable, especially children,” Olivier Savignac, a former abuse victim and co-founder of the Parler et Revivre association (Talk and Live Again) told Reuters.
The almost 2,500-page document said that an estimated 216,000 children were abused by French priests, deacons, monks, or nuns from 1950 to 2020.
Ahead of the meeting, Macron’s office said the subject had been addressed with the pope in the past and that it was not likely to be brought up, Reuters reported.
‘Constructive’ discussion with Meloni
The French president also met up with Italy’s first female prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, on Sunday.
Their private discussion — “constructive,” “frank,” and “open,” according to Macron — covered the challenges Europe currently is facing, from the support for Ukraine and high energy costs to mass migration and economic problems, according to an AP report.
Before meeting Meloni, the French president also spoke about Russia’s war on Ukraine at the opening of the Cry for Peace conference, sponsored by the Sant’Egidio Community.
Macron said an end to the conflict should not mean the “consecration of the law of the strongest.” Ukraine should decide if and how there could be peace terms with Russia.
Italy’s new leader has described herself in speeches as a Christian and has publicly expressed her admiration for St. John Paul II and her desire to meet Pope Francis in person.
Pope Francis, who offered a prayer for Italy on Sunday, is scheduled to conclude the peace event on Tuesday, joining other religious leaders at a prayer service at Rome’s Colosseum.
The Plaza de Mayo is as basic to Argentine political history as La Boca and nostalgic foreigners are to tango. The square is a political center, money related and regulatory focus and all through history has been an image of fiasco, insubordination, and expectation.
In May 1810 the transformation started in what was then called the Plaza de la Victoria. After six years Argentina won autonomy from Spain and the square was given its present name, May Square.
Among the three essential noteworthy structures on the court, are the Cabildo, the previous seat of the Colonial government, the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral — now acclaimed as Pope Francis' previous area, and obviously the administration house, the Casa Rosada.
El presidente francés Emmanuel Macron proclamó la apertura de los juegos en una ceremonia celebrada en la Plaza de la Concordia.
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El atleta germano Markus Rehm porta la llama paralímpica frente al famoso Obelisco de Luxor en la Plaza de la Concordia, en París, Francia. Imagen: Gonzalo Fuentes/AP Photo/picture alliance
El presidente de Francia, Emmanuel Macron, proclamó oficialmente "abiertos" los Juegos Paralímpicos de París, este miércoles (28.08.2024) por la noche durante una ceremonia celebrada en la Plaza de la Concordia, en el corazón de la capital francesa.
Un mes después del inicio de la cita olímpica en París, la ceremonia de apertura de los Paralímpicos 2024 ofreció un espectáculo enfocado a la inclusión de todos los cuerpos y prometió una "revolución" que transformará el mundo.
Esta vez bajo el brillante sol parisino, la cita paralímpica, la primera de la historia en Francia, comenzó puntualmente a las 18H00 GMT con un espectáculo de unas tres horas ideado por el prestigioso director de teatro francés Thomas Jolly.
"Bienvenidos al país del amor... y de la revolución", declaró el presidente del Comité Organizador de París-2024, Tony Estanguet, una vez caída la noche en la plaza de la Concordia, donde un escenario central en torno al famoso Obelisco de Luxor acogió el espectáculo 'Paradoxe' (Paradoja).
El Obelisco de la plaza de La Concorde y la Torre Eiffel se iluminan durante la Ceremonia de Apertura de los Juegos Paralímpicos de 2024.Imagen: Thomas Padilla/AP Photo/picture alliance
Unos 4.400 deportistas de 168 delegaciones desfilaron desde los Campos Elíseos, considerada entre los franceses como "la avenida más hermosa del mundo", hasta la plaza donde Luis XVI y María Antonieta perdieron sus cabezas durante la Revolución.
A su paso, los casi 50.000 espectadores aplaudieron y corearon los nombres de los países y los paradeportistas entretenían al público.
"La revolución paralímpica"
"Esta noche comienza la revolución paralímpica", aseguró Estanguet, una idea compartida por el presidente del Comité Paralímpico Internacional (CPI), el brasileño Andrew Parsons, que celebró durante su discurso "el evento deportivo más transformador del mundo".
Los abanderados de Alemania Edina Mueller y Martin Schulz durante la ceremonia de apertura de los Juegos Olímpicos de París 2024 en la Place de la Concorde. Imagen: Zac Goodwin/empics/picture alliance
Tras las palabras de Estanguet y Parsons, el presidente Macron declaró oficialmente "abiertos" los Juegos Paralímpicos de París.
La música tuvo un protagonismo especial durante la ceremonia con Chilly Gonzalez tocando el piano, con la artista francesa Christine and the Queens interpretando una nueva versión de la canción de Édith Piaf 'Non, je ne regrette rien' y con el DJ francés Myd amenizando el desfile de los 167 países más el del equipo de refugiados.
Esas 168 delegaciones, récord histórico de participación, suponen mejorar el récord anterior de 164 en los Juegos Paralímpicos de Londres 2012 y de Tokio 2020, con tres países (Eritrea, Kiribati y Kosovo) debutando en una cita.
French president Macron declares Paris 2024 Paralympic Games open
By Reuters
August 28, 20245:49 PM GMT-3Updated 5 months ago
Item 1 of 2 Paris 2024 Paralympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - August 28, 2024 The Obelisk of Luxor on the Place de la Concorde displays the colours of the flag of France during the opening ceremony REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska
[1/2]Paris 2024 Paralympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - August 28, 2024 The Obelisk of Luxor on the Place de la Concorde displays the colours of the flag of France during the opening ceremony REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
PARIS, Aug 28 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games open on Wednesday during an opening ceremony that was being held on the Champs Elysees and the Place de la Concorde.
Competitions will start on Thursday and end on Sept. 8.
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Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Chris Reese
Pope Francis received President Emmanuel Macron at the Vatican for an hour on Friday as France prepares to take on the presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The French president met privately with the pope on Nov. 26 before heading into discussions with officials from the Vatican Secretariat of State on “France’s commitment in Lebanon, the Middle East, and Africa,” according to a brief statement from the Vatican.
Vatican Media.
“In the course of the talks, a number of international issues were discussed, including environmental protection in the light of the outcome of the recent COP26 [climate summit] in Glasgow. There was also an exchange of views on the prospects for the forthcoming French Presidency of the European Union,” the Holy See press office said.
While in Rome, Macron also had a meeting with a delegation from the Catholic Community of Sant’Egidio at the Palazzo Farnese on the eve of his papal audience.
The Catholic movement proposed collaboration during the French EU presidency on an international event to promote the abolition of the death penalty worldwide.
Sant’Egidio also advocated for its humanitarian corridors for people fleeing the Syrian, Libyan, and Afghan crises and reported that Macron had assured it that France “will continue its efforts in this direction.”
Macron’s papal audience took place as French Catholics continue to reel from an independent report published last month estimating that hundreds of thousands of children were abused in the Catholic Church in France over the past 70 years.
A French government official had said that the pope had also scheduled a meeting with the Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE), which produced the report, but a French news agency in Rome, I.Media, reported that the meeting is being delayed.
Vatican Media.
Macron arrived at the Vatican’s San Damaso Courtyard shortly after 11 a.m. on Friday after signing a new treaty with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi earlier that day.
“[As] founding countries of the EU ... we defend a more integrated, more democratic, more sovereign Europe,″ Macron said at the press conference, according to AFP.
The Italian prime minister highlighted how the treaty will strengthen cooperation in the area of defense.
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