(CNN Spanish) — The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has invited Pope Francis to visit the country. Both had a telephone conversation on Wednesday in which the president thanked the Supreme Pontiff for his “work for peace in Ukraine and for the fight against poverty”, the presidency reported in a statement.
Second official note, the pope will discuss the invitation and the possibility of a visit. Both will have an audience in the Vatican “in June or July of this year.”
Regarding the war in Ukraine, the president recalled his conversations with other peace-seeking leaders and lamented the escalating conflict in the region.
Furthermore, the Presidency indicated that Lula also thanked the work of the Church in Brazil for the conservation of the Amazon, “against the forces that attack the jungle, and the Pope’s mentions and solidarity with Brazil in recent years”.
