Ramaphosa says he had good first meeting with Pope Leo

President Cyril Ramaphosa said he’s had a good first meeting with Pope Leo XIV during a state visit to Italy, where he again called for global solidarity and equality.

Ramaphosa arrived in Rome for bilateral talks over the weekend with the head of the Catholic Church, making it the first high-level engagement with the newly appointed pontiff.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa meets Pope Leo at Vatican, have 'cordial talks'

This is part of efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties between South Africa and the Holy See established more than three decades ago.

Ramaphosa said Pope Leo has given his buy-in on efforts to address a number of pressing global challenges.

“We also discussed the situation of peace-making around the world, particularly in Palestine, as well as in our continent and the situation in Sudan, where there is a lot of suffering.”

Ramaphosa said global cooperation is key to addressing inequality, food insecurity, Africa’s underdevelopment and geopolitical tensions.

“We were deeply moved by his sense of compassion and his support for poor people and struggling people around the world.”

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