French president meets pope
Photo: EPA
French president visits pope after Islamic attacks
François Hollande expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for his solidarity with the French nation amid spike in Islamic terror attacks; Vatican: 'attacks absurd and barbaric.'
French President François Hollande visited Pope Francis on Wednesday to thank him for his words of comfort after a spate of Islamic extremist attacks over recent months left more than 200 dead, including an elderly French priest.
Hollande arrived at the Vatican for the private audience after visiting the French church in Rome's historic center. He told reporters that he wanted to thank Francis for his solidarity after the July 14 Nice attack and the slaying of the priest.
French President Francoid Hollande meets Pope Francis (Photo: EPA)
After meeting with Francis last month, Hollande said, "He told me in confidence that he was standing like a brother by the side of the French people. All the words that have been said—I'm also thinking of the leaders of the French church—have been very important because they helped remind the French people of their unity...and also of the solidarity of the whole world toward France."
Hollande had called Francis last month to express his solidarity after Islamic extremists attacked a Normandy church during Mass and slit the throat of the priest, the Rev. Jacques Hamel. Hollande pledged to protect French churches and said that "When a priest is attacked, it is all of France that has been hurt."
The Vatican condemned the attack as "absurd" and "barbaric" though Francis subsequently declined to label Islam as a whole as "terrorist."
In addition to the recent attacks, Hollande said he would speak with Francis about refugees, the situation in the Middle East and the plight of Christians who have been targeted in particular by Islamic extremists in Iraq and Syria.
It's the second time the two have met privately; Hollande had a state visit January 24, 2014.
