Silvio Berlusconi served as the Italian Prime Minister three times and was able to meet with several popes during his terms. Berlusconi said his most special meeting with Pope John Paul II was when he visited the Polish pope with his mother. He also attended Pope John Paul II's funeral on April 8, 2005.
The first time Berlusconi met Pope Benedict XVI was on November 19, 2005. He was welcomed in the courtyard of St. Damasus in the Vatican by the then Prefect of the Papal Household, Cardinal Harvey. Once in the Apostolic Palace, Pope Benedict and Berlusconi discussed the main issues of international politics, Italy's future and the moral and religious objectives of the Catholic Church in the world.
The two heads of state met again on June 6, 2008. Berlusconi, already in his second term, explained his goal of maintaining values, such as tolerance and the sanctity of the family, to the Pope.
In 2011, Berlusconi finished his third term as Prime Minister, so he did not have the opportunity to meet with Pope Francis.
The Pope has been informed of Berlusconi's death and has expressed his sympathy to the family. He sent a telegram addressed to the former prime minister's daughter signed by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Pope Francis said Berlusconi was 'a protagonist of Italian political life.'
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TR: KG
