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# D-Tour to Vatican
President Higgins will meet Pope Francis in Rome on Monday
President Higgins will also visit the Biennale, the world’s oldest international art exhibition.
PRESIDENT MICHAEL D Higgins will meet Pope Francis in Rome this Monday.
The President will meet Pope Francis in an official audience in the Papal Library at the Vatican and the pair will discuss “issues of regional and global importance”.
Following the meeting with the Pope, the President will have a meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Vatican.
He will also meet with the Irish clergy and lay staff working at the Vatican, at a reception at the Irish College in the city.
Before travelling the Rome, President Higgins will visit Venice, where he will attend the Biennale, the world’s largest and oldest international art exhibition.
At the Biennele, the President is set to meet with artist Jesse Jones and representatives from organisations involved in the exhibition, including Culture Ireland and the Arts Council.
Yesterday, President Higgins met with Pope Tawadros II, leader of the Coptic Othodox Church of Alexandria.
He was accompanied by the Egyptian Ambassador to Ireland, Soha Gendi, the Bishop of the Coptic Diocese of Ireland, among other dignitaries.
In the meeting, the President said the case of Ibrahim Halawa needs ‘an urgent resolution’.
Read: Michael D Higgins: ‘St Patrick’s own life story was one of hardship and migration’
More: President Higgins set to be awarded Peru’s highest honour
