Pope Leo XIV received the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, in the Vatican on Monday morning.

According to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the President subsequently met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.

“During the cordial discussions at the Secretariat of State,” the statement said, “appreciation for the good diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Czech Republic was renewed, and the intention to further strengthen them was reaffirmed.”

It added that the discussions focused on issues of common interest and on several socio-political matters of a regional and international nature, with particular attention to the ongoing conflicts, “underscoring the importance of an urgent commitment to peace and to the recovery of the principles and values that underpin international coexistence.”

Topics included also relations between Europe and the United States, global challenges, and sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.

This was President Pavel’s first visit to the papal residence since the election of the new pontiff last year.

He planned to invite Pope Leo XIV to visit Czechia, a trip no pope has made since Benedict XVI in 2009.

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