On June 21, Pope Francis received Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, popularly known as Lula.
In a break with established practice, the president then met with Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, the Substitute (Sostituto) for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, who coordinates the internal affairs of the Roman Curia. A visiting head of state typically meets with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. [Cardinal Parolin was in Udine, Italy, giving a talk on Archbishop Leone Nigris (1884-1964), a Vatican diplomat in Albania.]
During Lula’s visit to the Vatican, the parties discussed peace, poverty, inequality, the rights of the indigenous, and the environment, according to a Vatican statement.
With 217 million people, Brazil ranks seventh in population among the nations of the world. It is 91% Christian (64% Catholic) and 5% Spiritist.