VATICAN CITY - The new president of Poland,  Andrzej Duda, had a private audience with Pope Francis Monday, the Vatican said. They were talked about pressing world isues, such as the refugee crisis and war in Ukraine but also about The 2016 World Youth Day being planned in Cracow and the planned visit of the pontiff to Poland for the event.

  Duda's trip to the Vatican started Sunday afternoon, when the presidential couple attended a Mass at St Peter's Basilica. His Monday morning conversation with Francis lasted more than 20 minutes. Francis said that during his visit to Poland he would like to also visit Częstochowa and Auschwitz. The president gave to the pope the image of "Our Lady of Częstochowa". He expressed his joy that he could personally meet Pope Francis.

  Afterwards, the Polish president had a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

  Duda told reporters that the meeting was held in a very good atmosphere. "It is a clear-cut matter for the Holy Father and his collaborators and also for me, that Ukraine needs a lasting peace," the President said.

  Later Monday Duda was honouring Polish priests working in the Holy See includingCardinal Stanislaw Rylko, Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski and the priest Slawomir Oder. Then, the president will place a wreath at the monument of Jozef Pilsudski in Rome. In the evening, Duda was meeting with the Polish community living in Italy.