The Pope and President Napolitano:
Benedict XVI's last event as head of state
Translated from
February 23, 2013
Communique from the Secretariat of State
This morning at 11:30, the Holy Father Benedict XVI
held a farewell meeting with the President of teh Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, and his spouse.
The meeting was particular intense and cordial, given the great reciprocal esteem and long familiarity with each other of the Pope and the President.
President Napolitano expressed to the Pope not just the gratitude of the Italian people for his closenes during so many crucial times for the nation and for his high religious and moral teaching, but also the affection with which Italians will continue to have for him.
For his part, the Pope expressed once more to the President and Mrs. Napolitano his gratitude for their friendship, as well as his best wishes for the Italian people, especially during these days when Italians face significant decisions.
I am sorry for the uneven and/or poor quality of the photos. I had been awaiting the usual newsphoto series from Yahoo, but instead, I have had to search out photos where I could.