China and Venezuela were the central themes of the meeting between Antony Blinken and Pope Francis

The crisis in Venezuela was one of the central themes of the meetings this Monday in the Vatican of the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken., who spoke for 40 minutes with Pope Francis.

The head of US diplomacy, who also met Vatican number two, Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro parolin, and the archbishop Paul Gallagher, which manages the external relations of the Holy See, discussed with them the situation in Venezuela as well as in Syria, Lebanon, Belarus and EthiopiaUS sources reported.

“He reiterated the support of the United States for the return to democracy in Venezuela and our desire to help the Venezuelan people to rebuild their country.The spokesperson for the State Department assured the press, Ned Prize.

The Catholic Church plays a key role in Venezuela, where the democratic administration Joe biden took a more low-key approach than that of former President Donald Trump, who imposed sweeping sanctions and threatened to forcibly remove President Nicolás Maduro.

United States considers broad dialogue in Venezuela “urgent and necessary” in order to celebrate free and fair electionsAlthough the Biden administration has maintained Trump’s position that Maduro is illegitimate and continues to support opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

In summary United States supports negotiated solution to Venezuela’s political crisis, but continues to maintain economic and diplomatic pressure on Maduro until the South American country holds transparent elections.

Blinken also discussed matters of common interest at the Vatican., including migration, climate change and the global covid-19 vaccination campaign, the same source reported.

The head of American diplomacy also addressed the delicate question of “Human rights and religious freedom” in China, which had generated unprecedented tensions with former President Donald Trump.

40-minute meeting

During the meeting with Blinken, Pope Francis also recalled his trip to the United States in 2015.

“The hearing took place in a cordial atmosphere. It lasted about 40 minutes and it was an opportunity for the Pope to remember the trip he made in 2015 and to express his love and attention to the people of the United States of America “, assured the Vatican spokesperson to the press, Mattéo Bruni.

It was the first meeting of the pontiff with a high representative of the presidential team of Joe Biden, the second Catholic president in the history of this country, who should start a new era in US-Vatican relations after four years of tensions with Trump.

Before the meeting with the Pope Blinken visited the Sistine Chapel accompanied by a guide and visited part of the Apostolic Palace.

Although the president Biden is the second Catholic president after John F. Kennedy (1961-1963), the american catholic church, very divided, started a offensive to deprive political leaders who support abortion of communion, including Biden himself.

June 18 The U.S. Bishops’ Conference overwhelmingly voted for such a proposal, led by more conservative sectors, a move that could spell a personal blow for Biden., who is a devout Catholic and regularly attends mass.

The proposal also generated a debate within the church, Pope Francis therefore had to intervene to warn in a letter to the bishops that the theme generates “discord instead of unity”.

The question will be revisited at the next episcopal conference scheduled for November.

The Latin American Pontiff, which supports the fight against climate change and defends migrants and refugees, among the priorities of his pontificate, had strong differences with the Trump administration for the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico.

Francisco refused last year to meet with Blinken’s predecessor, Mike Pompeo., shortly before the US presidential elections.

Blinken started a three-day visit to Italy and the Vatican on Sunday with a busy schedule, which started with a lunch with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio at the Vila Madama in Rome.

Among Monday’s meetings is a meeting of the coalition that integrates with 83 countries on the fight against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) and will participate in a meeting on the current situation in Syria.

On Tuesday, Blinken will attend the meeting of foreign ministers of the G20 in the Italian town of Matera, in southern Italy.

(With information from AFP)

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