President Lazarus Chakwera has today on 19th August 2024 met with Holiness Pope Francis at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City.

During the homely meeting, he discussed the progress of bilateral relations between Malawi and the Holy See, drawing on rich historical.

On his Facebook page Chakwera sad: “I conveyed to His Holiness the Pope my great delight in having an audience with him.

“I did say that I had come not only representing the Malawian people, a significant portion of which are Catholics, but also as a student and disciple, eager to continue learning about servant-leadership that puts the needs of the people first.

“I also used the meeting to commend Pope Francis for his leadership in matters of global concern, such as climate change and rising economic inequality, advocating for partnership between the two States,” he said.

The Malawi leader expressed his sadness and condolences to His Holiness on the recent tragic passing of Former Vice President Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, whom the Pope had met in 2016.

He said that the late Dr. Chilima was “a devout Catholic and a source of inspiration for millions of Malawians”, and thanked the Pontif for the exceptional leadership and ministry of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi in shepherding Malawians through the daze of shock, grief, and confusion that followed the tragic plane crash that claimed the life of Dr. Chilima.