The Spanish Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños, had this Sunday a brief meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, and invited him to visit the Canary Islands because of the migration crisis the archipelago is going through.
Bolaños arrived in Rome last night and was heading to Vatican City to attend this Sunday the canonization ceremony of 14 peopleamong them seven Spanish Franciscans killed in Syria in 1860 who today have been proclaimed saints.
Shortly before the ceremony, Bolaños was received by the pontiff in Saint Peter’s Basilicawhere both “agree on the concern for the situation of migrants”, to which the Spanish minister invited Francisco to visit the Canary Islands.
Bolaños talks about consensus
“The minister transmitted to the Pope an affectionate greeting from the president of the government, Pedro Sánchez, and invited him to visit the Canary Islands”, said in a statement the Ministry of Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes.
According to the note, Bolaños also attended yesterday the reception given to him by the Spanish Ambassador to the Holy See, Isabel Celaá. During the reception, he emphasized his “shared concern with the Catholic Church on current events, such as the war in the Middle East or the migration crisis.
The minister also highlighted “the points of understanding in recent years” maintained with the Catholic Church, with a “broad vocation for dialogue”. “Bolaños showed confidence that through this they will be able to achieve consensus on issues such as the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Ombudsman’s report regarding victims of abuse within the Church”, as well as “the development of the Democratic Memory Law to give new meaning to the Valley of Cuelgamuros”, concludes the press release.
