President Danny Faure received a delegation from the Episcopal Conference of the Indian Ocean lead by the Roman Catholic Church Bishop of Port Victoria, Bishop Denis Wiehe at State House this afternoon.

The Episcopal Conference of the Indian Ocean is an agency of the Catholic Church which includes bishops of Indian Ocean Islands Comoros, Mauritius, Reunion, Mayotte and Seychelles.

Present at State House for the Courtesy visit included SE Apostolic Nuncio Bishop Paolo Gualtieri, the President of the Episcopal Conference of the Indian Ocean, Bishop of St Denis, Reunion, Bishop Gilbert Aubrey, representatives of the Vatican Father Jordi Bertomeu Farnos and Father Jose Martinez Franco.

During the meeting President Faure welcomed the delegation to Seychelles and thanked them for the spiritual works being done across the Indian Ocean including in Seychelles. SE Apostolic Nuncio Bishop Paolo Gualtieri thanked the President for the good rapport and relationship the State has with the Roman Catholic Church here in Seychelles.

The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss current affairs in Seychelles, new developments and for the Vatican representatives to convey the appreciation of His Holiness Pope Francis to President Faure for the gesture of clemency accorded to the 78 prisoners in December 2016 and the granting of citizenship to Roman Catholic Priests and Nun in May this year.