Pope Francis welcomed the prime minister of the Republic of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, who assumed office in late 2017.
During the encounter, the two discussed positive bilateral relations between the Vatican and Poland, and addressed other timely issues such as family policy and reception of refugees. Climate change was also discussed, as the United Nations Conference on the topic is due to be held in Poland later this year.
The 49-year-old prime minister was joined by his wife and four children, one of whom stayed as close to her father as possible.
The Holy Father shared this warm moment with the little girl.
As a show of gratitude for the occasion, the Polish leader presented Pope Francis with this beautiful gilded image.
The Vatican and Poland restored diplomatic relations in 1989 after a 44-year divide. There are an estimated 35 million Catholics in the country, representing more than 94 percent of its population.
