Rouhani meets Francis, in warming of Iran relations

Pope Francis met the Iranian President at the Vatican this week and urged Tehran to find peaceful solutions for the Middle East and fight terrorism and arms trafficking. Francis and President Hassan Rouhani had a private meeting in the Apostolic Palace that lasted around 40 minutes at the end of which the Pope said he had “high hopes for peace” and asked the president to “pray for him”.

Shia Iran is a close ally of the President of Syria, Bashar-Al Assad, with western nations backing Assad’s mainly Sunni opponents in the country’s civil war. Iran is widely accused of funding terrorist groups elsewhere  in the Middle East.

The Holy See, however, has good relations with Iran and the Pope is keen to use that influence to bring peace in the Middle East. There is a small Catholic community in Iran, which dates back to the early Church, and has historically lived in harmony with its Muslim neighbours. In 2007 Pope Benedict XVI wrote to the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, requesting the release of captured British sailors in the Persian Gulf who were let go.

As a result of Iran’s nuclear deal last year and the lifting of economic sanctions, Tehran is rebuilding its relationship with the West and Mr Rouhani has visited Italy and France this week.

The Pope and the president also discussed the nuclear deal, the life of the Church in Iran and inter-religious dialogue.

Mr Rouhani gave the Pope a rug made in the city of Qom and the Pope handed over a medal of St Martin of Tours, the former bishop who famously cut his cloak in two to give the other half to a beggar. The latter, Francis said, was a sign of “brotherhood”.