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French President Emmanuel Macron and Pope Leo XIV met for the first time on Friday, expressing shared concerns over US President Donald Trump’s stance on the Iran issue, with both leaders advocating for a diplomatic resolution.

President Macron and his wife Brigitte spent roughly two hours at the Vatican, with discussions with the pope centering on the Middle East conflict, multilateral cooperation, climate change, and humanitarian situations, as reported by news agencies in attendance.

The gathering occurs as both leaders have openly criticized Trump’s management of the Iran conflict.

Pope Leo XIV described Trump’s warnings directed at Iranian culture as “unacceptable” earlier this week, while Macron has criticized the U.S. president for creating unrest through conflicting remarks and a confrontational approach.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the leaders presented each other with gifts. Macron gifted the pope a jersey from the French national basketball team and a book detailing the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral following the 2019 fire.

Following his meeting with the pope, Macron also engaged in discussions with Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

The gathering signifies Macron’s initial meeting with Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from the United States, nearly a year following his election.

No meeting with Meloni

President Macron’s trip to Rome did not include any encounter with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The Elysée described the visit as “republican and secular,” stating that no official political discussions with the Italian government were scheduled.

The final formal meeting between Macron and Meloni occurred in 2025, when the French president visited Palazzo Chigi for a bilateral discussion intended to restart communication following several months of conflict.

Macron’s plan centered around institutional and religious interactions, mainly at the Vatican, without any official visits to government buildings.

The final encounter between Macron and Italian President Sergio Mattarella occurred on June 7, 2023, at the Quirinale.

President Macron’s trip to Rome started on Thursday with a visit to the Community of Sant’Egidio, where he joined in a moment of reflection honoring Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui, a young Congolese individual who was murdered in Goma in 2007.

At the Santa Maria in Trastevere basilica, the president remained quiet in the chapel where the jacket of the young customs officer and volunteer is kept, who died while standing against the shipment of spoiled food meant for vulnerable groups.

On Friday afternoon, Macron is set to make a private visit to the Vicariate of Rome and the Basilica of St. John Lateran, where he holds the title of protocanonical, a position that has been in place since the era of the French kings.