President Luis Abinader and First Lady Raquel Arbaje invited Pope Francisco to visit the Dominican Republic during their visit with the Pope at the Vatican. The Abinader-Arbaje family gifted the Pope with a rosary crafted in larimar, the native blue precious stone.
During the meeting at the Vatican with the Pope and high officials of the Vatican, President Luis Abinader attended with Dominican Ambassador to the Holy See, Luis Montalvo Arzeno and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Relations Jose Julio Gomez, who traveled from the Dominican Republic to represent the Ministry of Foreign Relations during the President’s state visits during his trip to Europe.
President Abinader gave the Pope the larimar rosary with an explanatory note that read: “This Holy Rosary is a unique piece that we humbly present to His Holiness Pope Francis. Its beads are made of larimar, a semi-precious stone in beautiful light blue tones that is only found in the southwestern region of the Dominican Republic. Its silver cord is a virtuous circle of love and hope.”
“Blue, with serene laminated tones, with energy from the sky, with energy from the sea, larimar radiates protection, confidence and peace. The rosary is a beautiful testimony of devotion to God and reverence to the Holy Father,” reads the explanation.
President Abinader had arrived at 9:05 in the morning local time (Rome), in the company of First Lady Raquel Arbaje and his daughters Esther, Graciela and Adriana.
After the meeting with the Pope and Vatican officials, President Luis Abinader introduced his wife and daughters to the Pope.
“We are waiting for you, we are waiting for you,” Arbaje told the pope as he shook his hand to say goodbye, while Francis thanked him for the visit and asked the president to pray for him: “I pray for you and you for me,” he said. Abinader responded, according to images released by the Vatican.
President Abinader was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs José Julio Gómez; the Dominican ambassador to the Holy See, Luis Montalvo Arzeno; the director of State Ceremonial, ambassador Francisco Cantizano, his assistant Mercedes Pichardo and the guest journalists José Monegro, executive editor of El Dia, and TV host Roberto Cavada. The President also traveled with his security corps chief, Major General Jimmy Arias and his assistants Eilyn Beltran and Mercedes Pichardo, and press director Daniel García Archibald.
In its coverage of the President’s visit to the Vatican, Acento reported that at the Vatican President Abinader also met with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, His Most Reverend Eminence, Pietro Parolin and Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.
A press release from the Vatican after the meeting establishes that the conversation with Cardinal Parolin and Monsignor Gallagher focused on the contributions of the Roman Catholic Church to education and charity. The Vatican officials also covered topics of mutual interest such as migration and the regional situation, renewing the mutual commitment to promote the common good of the Dominican people.
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Vatican News
El Dia
Hoy
Acento
N Digital
DR1 News
28 May 2024