Pope Francis receives Dennis Francis, President of the UN General Assembly, at the Vatican

Pope Francis received Dennis Francis, President of the United Nations General Assembly, in a private audience at the Vatican on the afternoon of July 29, something unusual during his summer break in July.

The Holy See Press Office reported that the audience took place at Casa Santa Marta, the Pontiff’s residence in Vatican City.

The Vatican did not release any further details about this meeting, only a photograph of both where you can see Dennis Francis wearing a multicolored pin on the lapel of his jacket that refers to the sustainable development goals of the call. Agenda 2030.

In his official profile on the social network X, Dennis expressed that “it has been a great honor to meet” Pope Francis.

“His unwavering dedication to humanity, multilateralism and environmental protection is truly inspiring,” he wrote.

He also highlighted that, as a spiritual leader, “he defends humanity and urges us to find global solutions to our common challenges.”

“Around the world, millions of believers suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. The right to one’s own religious beliefs or worship cannot and should not be the basis of any form of intolerance and discrimination,” he asserted.

Who is Dennis Francis?

He was born on November 27, 1956 in Trinidad and Tobago. He studied Geography at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica and International Relations at Johns Hopkins University in the United States.

He has been his country’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York since 2021 and has been president of the United Nations General Assembly since September 5, 2023.

Pope Francis’ vacation

It is worth remembering that during this month Pope Francis reduces his commitments and the Vatican cancels all general and private audiences that the Pontiff usually has every day in the Apostolic Palace.

Furthermore, since he began his Pontificate, the Holy Father has spent every summer inside the Vatican walls and remains faithful to his custom of not moving to Castel Gandolfo to rest, as his predecessors did.

This month of July, despite the reduction of his commitments, he has held some meetings such as the one yesterday afternoon or his audience with a group of migrants earlier this month.

In fact, this afternoon he will meet at 6:00 p.m. (Rome time) with nearly fifty thousand altar boys in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.

Next Wednesday, August 7, general hearings will resume and their agenda will return to normal.

In September he plans to carry out the Apostolic Journey longest of his pontificate to Asia and Oceania and will also visit Belgium and Luxembourg.

During the month of October he will remain in Rome to participate in the second and last session of the Synod of Synodality.