Pope Francis talked privately with Abul Hamid, President of the Republic of Bangladesh, a few hours after his arrival in the country, on November 30, 2017.
The President himself received the Pope at the airport of Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, where military honors took place in the afternoon. Then their second interview was held in the Presidential Palace, around 5:30 pm local time (12:30 in Rome). When he got out of the car, the Military Secretary received the Holy Father and accompanied him to the Entrance of Honour, where Abdul Hamid was waiting for him.
The Pontiff and the President talked in private in the Credentials Hall, before the traditional exchange of gifts. The Pope gave the President a manuscript of the Apostolic Vatican Library dated 1472. The work in membrane, of a large format (597×427 mm.) contains the eight books of the Geography of Claudio Tolomeo (2nd century AD, in the Latin translation by Iacopo Angeli da Scarperia. One finds there, notably, a description of Asia.
After this interview, the Holy Father met with the country’s Authorities, with representatives of the civil society and of the Diplomatic Corps, to whom he gave an address. In the course of this visit, Pope Francis signed the Visitors’ Book, wishing in English “that the Almighty bless all the beloved people of Bangladesh with gifts of peace and joy.”
Translation by Virginia M. Forrester
JF
