VATICAN CITY — The French President Francois Hollande met with Pope Francis to thank him for his support of the people of France during their recent spell of terrorist attacks, which included the murder of priest Jacques Hamel during mass in the Norman church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray. 

 Hollande's private audience with Pope, which took place on Wednesday afternoon, lasted around 40 minutes, and the two communicated through an interpreter. The French premier also met with Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, although the details of this meeting are yet to be divulged. 

 The Pope then took the French premier into a nearby hall, along with the latter’s entourage which included Minister of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve and French ambassador to the Holy See Phillipe Zeller. 

 Spiritual gifts were exchanged, with Hollande giving the Pope a Sevres porcelain piece with the French national emblem painted on it. The pontiff returned the favour with a round bronze sculpture, made by artist Daniela Fusco, which was meant as a symbol of Isaiah’s prophecy that “the desert will turn into a garden.”

 The French President also received a copy of the Pope’s latest Encyclical ‘Laudato si’, as well as the apostolic exhortations ‘Amoris laetitia’ and ‘Evangelii gaudium’.

 Before entering the Vatican, Hollande paid a visit to the French church of St Louis des Français, where he stood in silence for around ten minutes. It was at this church that much of Rome's French community paid tribute to those killed during last year’s Bataclan attacks. 

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