Pope Francis, President of Iran Meet at Vatican; Focus on Dialogue to Promote Tolerance, Peace

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the President of Iran met today (January 26, 2016) at the Vatican, an encounter that speaks to a changing geopolitical landscape and both men's significant role in it, the CNN website reports.

Cameras captured Pope Francis and President Hassan Rouhani shaking hands and sitting down across from each other. The Vatican later offered a glimpse into what it called "cordial discussions" touching on the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear accord and "problems afflicting the Middle East."

While the Vatican news release did not mention any specific group or country, no doubt the agenda included talk about the years-long war and humanitarian crisis in Syria and Christians endangered by Islamist extremists such as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere.

"The parties highlighted the importance of inter-religious dialogue and the responsibility of religious communities in promoting reconciliation, tolerance, and peace," the Vatican said.