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President of Cape Verde to Highlight “challenges of today” in His Planned Friday Audience with Pope Francis

The President of Cape Verde, José Maria Pereira Neves to meet Pope Francis in Rome on 14 June 2024.

By João Vissesse

Santiago, 13 June, 2024 / 9:20 pm (ACI Africa).

The President of Cape Verde, José Maria Pereira Neves, plans to highlight contemporary challenges, including those in Africa during his planned audience with Pope Francis.

Speaking to Vatican News ahead of the Friday, June 14 audience, the President of the archipelago and island country of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean lauded the Holy Father as a “great symbol of humanity.”

“It's important to talk to him about the challenges of today, of the African continent,” President Neves said on Wednesday, June 12.

The audience with Pope Francis, he said, will be an opportunity “to learn, to seek inspiration from his teachings, and to continue working for a world of peace.”

The Cape Verdean head of state acknowledged with appreciation the role Pope Francis has played in calling attention to environmental issues, migration, peace, respect for human dignity, and the fight for freedom of spirit.

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He went on to describe his country, Cape Verde,  as a nation of peace that strives to be a “regional pivot” in many areas, despite its challenges, including migration and emergencies due to climate change.

President Neves is set to hold bilateral talk with Vatican officials during his June 13-17 Rome visit; he is also set to visit Cape Verdean communities in Rome and Napoli.

In January 2023, President Neves expressed his wish to have Pope Francis visit the country during the 500th anniversary of the Catholic Diocese of Santiago in 2033.

In June 2013, Cape Verde and the Holy See signed the Concordat, an international legal instrument, through which the Cape Verdean State recognizes the legal personality of the Catholic Church, as well as certain privileges and benefits, all compatible with the provisions of the country's Constitution.

João Vissesse

João Vissesse is an Angolan Journalist with a passion and rich experience in Catholic Church Communication and Media Apostolate. 

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