A few minutes before the General Audience, Pope Francis met with an Iranian religious delegation from the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization.
They are participants in a conference organized by the Vatican on extremism and violence performed in the name of faith.
POPE FRANCIS
'The visit from the president of Iran made me very happy. It also gave me a very good impression of your culture when I received a visit from the vice-president with a group of teachers.'
The meeting with the vice-president was on February 12, 2015, while the meeting with the president took place on January 26 of this year.
Pope Francis greeted participants one by one, including the current ambassador and the former ambassador to the Holy See. ;
'I was an ambassador here. For years I worked with him (Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran).'
'You feel at home.'
'I think so. Thank you. It really is an honor.'
In recent years, the Vatican ;has been intensifying dialogue with the Muslim world, both with Sunnis and Shiites.
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