The Swiss guard again stood to attention before Angela Merkel. This is the sixth time she visited Pope Francis.
The pope and the German Chancellor met behind closed doors for 40 minutes.
According to the Vatican, they spoke about 'the upcoming G20 meeting in Hamburg, the responsibility of the international community in combating poverty and hunger, the global threat of terrorism, and climate change.â?
She said the idea is to boost multilateral collaboration, and tear down walls instead of building them.
Angela Merkel was returning from a tour in Latin America, which also included a stop in Argentina. For that reason, she brought dulce de leche and Argentine biscuits as a gift for the pope.
In return, the pope gave her an olive branch sculpture, which she greatly appreciated and showed the photographers.
Angela Merkel was accompanied by her husband during the visit.
Before saying farewell, the pope expressed his condolences for the death of Helmut Kohl, one of the driving forces of Germany's reunification and Europe's construction.
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