S.E. Apostolic Nuncio Paolo Gualtieri and the Bishop of St Denis Mgr Gilbert Aubry paid a courtesy call to President Faure at State House this morning, accompanied by the Bishop of Seychelles Mgr Denis Wiehe.

On behalf of the Roman Catholic Pope, S.E. Apostolic Nuncio Paolo Gualtieri conveyed warm salutations of His Holiness Pope Francis to President Faure and expressed the Pope's appreciation for the gesture of clemency accorded by the President to the 78 prisoners who were released with unconditional pardons in December 2016.

During the meeting, President Faure shared some of his aspirations and vision for Seychelles, predominantly the efforts to work more closely with the religious groups such as the Catholic Church and other key partners in order to promote greater peace and stability for the betterment of the country.

The President and Catholic Church representatives also discussed and exchanged views on other pertinent topics such the regional political landscape, the Indian Ocean Zone of Peace, and other challenges affecting the region such as drug trafficking, youth values, and character building efforts for a more resilient future generation.

S.E. Apostolic Nuncio Paolo Gualtieri and the Bishop of St Denis Gilbert Aubry came to Seychelles for the 125th Anniversary of the Catholic Diocese of Victoria.