President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Mr Ivan Brajović, met today in Vatican City State with the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, once again emphasising the importance of a harmonious coexistence of members of different religions, nations and cultures, nurtured by contemporary Montenegro.
- In a conversation with the Pope, I expressed my pleasure and honor because of the encounter, not only because of the fact he was the head of the Catholic Church, but also because at the time when the whole world has been facing serious crisis, he promoted humanity as a superior value with his own messages and personal example. I especially stressed to Pope Francis that he would make a great honor to Montenegro with his visit and that we expected his visit during the following year.
Pope Francis said to President Brajović, inter alia, that Montenegro is of special importance for him because in 1992 he was ordained in Argentina by Emilio Ognjenović, originaly from Montenegro.
President Brajović gave the Holy Father a first copy of the special edition of "The Mountain Wreath", translated in Italian by Veljko Mićović, published on this occasion by the Parliament of Montenegro. As a prominent philologist and polyglot, he devoted past 11 years to this work, wishing that the new translation - the first one translated by a Montenegrin - reflected the spirit of Montenegrin language and philosophical and poetic thought of Peter II Petrović Njegoš. Pope Francis was also presented with a miniature of the gold embroidery from the Boka Navy uniform belt.
The President of the Parliament will also meet at the Apostolic Palace with the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Secretary for Relations with States, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher.
The visit to Rome will also provide for the opportunity for meetings with the Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Mr Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, and the President of the Community of Sant'Egidio, Professor Marco Impagliazzo.
VIDEO: Meeting of the President of the Parliament with Pope Francis
