Iman Chairman welcomes meeting of Pope Francis and Iranian President

Image Credit: Vatican Pool Photo/UPI

'Pope Francis, Iranian President meet face-to-face at the Vatican'

CNN

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the President of Iran met Tuesday at the Vatican, a face-to-face encounter that speaks to a changing geopolitical landscape and both men's significant role in it.

Cameras captured Pope Francis and President Hassan Rouhani shaking hands and sitting down across from each other. The Vatican later offered a glimpse into what it called"cordial discussions" touching on the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear accord and "problems afflicting the Middle East."

While the Vatican news release didn't mention any specific group or country, no doubt the agenda included talk about the years-long war and humanitarian crisis in Syria and Christians endangered by Islamist extremists such as ISIS in that country, neighboring Iraq and elsewhere.

"The parties highlighted the importance of inter-religious dialogue and the responsibility of religious communities in promoting reconciliation, tolerance and peace," the Vatican said.

Press TV, an official Iranian media outlet, offered a very similar takeout on the 40-minute meeting. That report said Rouhani gave the Pope a handwoven Persian carpet and book featuring the works of painter Mahmoud Farshchian.

The pair -- one a Muslim cleric, the other the world's most recognized Christian leader -- had planned to sit down in November, according to official Iranian and Vatican news outlets. But Rouhani postponed that meeting, and his entire trip to Europe, following that month's coordinated terrorist massacre in Paris.

They entered Tuesday's talks with high expectations at a time when Iran's role in global affairs has evolved considerably.

Iman Chairman, Ribal Al-Assad, welcomed news of the meeting.

“I am very pleased to hear that Pope Francis and President Rouhani have come together to talk about the importance of inter-religious dialogue, tolerance and mutual understanding,” he said.

“The Iman Foundation has championed these causes for many years. We hope that this high-profile meeting will inspire others to become more involved and more supportive of interfaith and intercultural dialogue. These activities are more important than ever in our attempts to overcome the many conflicts and divisions plaguing the Middle East and the world today.

“I congratulate the Pope and President Rouhani on their meeting and hope that they continue such dialogue and cooperation in the future, so as to help bring an end to the religious and sectarian hatred being promoted by many Islamist clerics the world over. Intra-faith dialogue, too, is crucial to helping bridge the vast divides that have opened up in the Middle East that have caused so much animosity and violence.”