This is the list of visits by representatives of states and international organizations to the Holy See during the pontificate of Pope Francis, which started with his acceptance of the election on March 13, 2013.
The list includes visits by heads of states or government and heads of other sovereign entities under international law (Sovereign Military Order of Malta), as well as heads of international organizations, ministers, and their representatives.
Statistics +Number of entities156
Number of visits per entity +NumberEntity45 UN System (UNSG (3), UNGA (4), ECOSOC, OHCHR (3), UNHCR (4), UNODC; FAO (5), IAEA (2), IFAD (3), ILO, IMF (2), IOM (4), ITU, UNESCO (2), UNICEF, UNRWA (2), UNWTO, WFP (2), WHO (2), WIPO)14 EU (EUCO (4), EC (7), EP (6))12 North Macedonia11 Bulgaria10 Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Malta, Poland, Order of Malta9 Colombia, Switzerland, USA8 Albania, Germany, Slovakia, Spain, CoE (SG (3), PA (3), CHR, ECHR) 7 Iraq, Lithuania, Paraguay, Slovenia, Ukraine6 Croatia, Ecuador, Hungary, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, San Marino5 Bolivia, France, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Palestine, OAS4 Austria, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Cyprus, Ireland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Peru, Romania, Uganda, Vietnam3 Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Iran, Japan, Mozambique, Netherlands, Russia, South Korea, Uruguay2 Angola, Belgium, Benin, Cameroon, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Fiji, Georgia, Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Monaco, Panama, Portugal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Togo, Türkiye, Zambia, OIF1 Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Congo, Cuba, Denmark, Dominica, Egypt, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Greece, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Moldova, Myanmar, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Venezuela, UK, CERN, ICC (2),IDLO, NATO, OIC,OPCW, WB
Visits per regions Visits per regions according to the United Nations geoscheme. RegionNumberEntityEurope233 Albania (8), Andorra, Austria (4), Belarus, Belgium (2), Bosnia and Herzegovina (10), Bulgaria (11), Croatia (6), Cyprus (4), Czech Republic (2), Denmark, Estonia (2), France (5), Germany (8), Greece, Hungary (6), Ireland (4), Italy (10), Latvia (6), Liechtenstein, Lithuania (7), Luxembourg (5), Malta (10), Moldova, Monaco (2), Montenegro (5), Netherlands (3), North Macedonia (12), Poland (10), Portugal (2), Romania (4), Russia (3), San Marino (6), Serbia (2), Slovenia (7), Slovakia (8), Spain (8), Switzerland (9), Türkiye (2), Ukraine (7), UK, Order of Malta (10), CERN, EU (EUCO (4), EC (7), EP (6)) (14)Americas89 Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina (10), The Bahamas (2), Belize, Bolivia (5), Brazil (4), Canada (2), Chile (3), Colombia (9), Costa Rica (2), Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic (3), Ecuador (6), El Salvador, Grenada (2), Haiti (2), Honduras (2), Mexico, Panama (2), Paraguay (7), Peru (4), Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay (3), Venezuela, USA (9), OAS (5)Asia70 Armenia (3), Azerbaijan (3), Bahrain (3), Bangladesh, Georgia (2), India, Iran (3), Iraq (7), Israel (4), Japan (3), Jordan (6), Kazakhstan (4), Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon (6), Myanmar, Palestine (5), Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea (3), Sri Lanka (2), Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste (2), Vietnam (4)Africa61 Angola (2), Benin (2), Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde (4), Cameroon (2), Central African Republic (4), Congo, DRC (2), Egypt (2), Equatorial Guinea (2), Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana (3), Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho (2), Liberia (2), Madagascar (2), Malawi, Mali, Mozambique (3), Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles (2), Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo (2), Tunisia, Uganda (4), Zambia (2)Oceania6 Australia, Fiji (2), Kiribati, New Zealand, SamoaGlobal50 UN System (UNSG (3), UNGA (4), ECOSOC, OHCHR (3), UNHCR (4), UNODC; FAO (5), IAEA (2), IFAD (3), ILO, IMF (2), IOM (4), ITU, UNESCO (2), UNICEF, UNRWA (2), UNWTO, WFP (2), WHO (2), WIPO) (45), ICC (2),IDLO,OPCW, WBInterregional12 CoE (SG (3), PA (3), CHR, ECHR) (8), NATO, OIC, OIF (2)
List of visits
2013 #DateVisitorNotesSourceMarch 20131March 18, 2013 President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner(Argentina)2March 20, 2013 President Dilma Rousseff(Brazil)April 20133April 9, 2013 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon(UN)On April 9, 2013, Pope Francis met UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss peace, human rights, Syria, human trafficking, and development, affirming the Church’s support for UN goals.4April 11, 2013 Prime Minister Alberto Vaquina(Mozambique)Pope Francis received the Prime Minister of Mozambique, Alberto Vaquina. They discussed the good bilateral relations and the Church’s contribution to peace and development.5April 13, 2013 ECOSOC President Néstor Osorio(UN) (2)6April 15, 2013 Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy(Spain)Pope Francis met Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy to discuss Spain’s crisis, youth unemployment, Church aid, dialogue in society, family, religious education, and Latin America.7April 19, 2013 President Rafael Correa(Ecuador)Pope Francis met Ecuador’s President Correa to discuss Church–State dialogue, social justice, solidarity, indigenous rights, and environmental protection.8April 26, 2013 President Andry Rajoelina(Madagascar)Pope Francis met Madagascar’s President Rajoelina to discuss Church–State ties, efforts toward democracy, economic development, and the Church’s role in health, education, and national dialogue.9April 30, 2013 President Shimon Peres(Israel)Pope Francis met Israeli President Peres to discuss Middle East peace, Syria, Jerusalem, and Holy See–Israel relations, stressing dialogue, reconciliation, and progress on a bilateral agreement.May 201310May 3, 2013 President Michel Sleiman(Lebanon)Pope Francis met Lebanese President Sleiman to discuss national unity, Syrian refugee aid, peace talks, and the role of Christians in the Middle East amid ongoing regional challenges and instability.11May 6, 2013 President Ueli Maurer(Switzerland)Pope Francis met Swiss President Ueli Maurer to discuss strengthening ties between the Holy See and Switzerland, human rights, youth education, and international collaboration for justice and peace.12May 13, 2013 President Juan Manuel Santos(Colombia)Pope Francis met Colombian President Santos to discuss Mother Laura Montoya's canonization, Church contributions to peace, social justice, and family, and the ongoing peace process in Colombia.13May 18, 2013 Chancellor Angela Merkel(Germany)Pope Francis met German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss human rights, religious freedom, Christian persecution, Europe’s role as a community of values, and global peace efforts.14May 22, 2013 President Thomas Boni Yayi(Benin)15May 23, 2013 President Mauricio Funes(El Salvador)Pope Francis met El Salvador’s President Carlos Funes to discuss the legacy of Archbishop Oscar Romero, Church contributions to peace, education, and ethical issues like family and life.16May 24, 2013 Prime Minister Marin Raykov(Bulgaria)17 Speaker Trajko Valjanoski(FYR Macedonia)18May 31, 2013 UNGA President Vuk Jeremić(UN) (3)Pope Francis met UNGA President Vuk Jeremić to discuss peaceful conflict resolution, humanitarian crises, human trafficking, sustainable development, and the UN's role in promoting global justice and dignity.June 201319June 1, 2013 President José Mujica (Uruguay)Pope Francis met Uruguay’s President José Mujica to discuss the country’s socio-political situation, human rights, justice, social peace, and the Catholic Church’s contributions to public debate and service.20June 3, 2013 President Jorge Carlos Fonseca(Cabo Verde)Pope Francis met Cape Verde’s President Jorge Fonseca to discuss Church relations, cultural identity, the Church’s role in education and health, and regional challenges.21June 13, 2013 Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek(Slovenia)Pope Francis met Slovenia’s Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek to discuss bilateral relations, religious freedom, economic challenges, and the Church’s role in social support and education.22June 15, 2013 Commission President José Manuel Barroso(EU)Pope Francis met European Commission President José Manuel Durão Barroso to discuss European integration, economic challenges, the Church’s role in Europe’s wellbeing, and human rights.23June 17, 2013 President Nicolás Maduro(Venezuela)Pope Francis met Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to discuss the nation's social and political situation, including poverty and crime. They emphasized the Church’s role in charity, education, and healthcare.24 Deputy Prime Minister Roj Shaweis(Iraq)25June 22, 2013 Prince and Grand Master Matthew Festing(Order of Malta)26June 24, 2013 Prime Minister Joseph Muscat(Malta)Pope Francis met Maltese PM Joseph Muscat, discussing Malta’s Christian heritage, Church-state agreements, values, education, marriage laws, EU role, and shared efforts on migration challenges.July 201327July 4, 2013 Prime Minister Enrico Letta(Italy)Pope Francis met Italian PM Enrico Letta, discussing youth jobs, families’ role, Church support, EU challenges, Mediterranean/Middle East issues, and reaffirming cooperation for Italy and global good.28July 6, 2013 President Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona(Trinidad and Tobago)Pope Francis met Trinidad and Tobago’s President Carmona, discussing the Church’s role in education, health, aid, youth support against crime, and shared commitment to family and personal development.September 201329September 4, 2013 Captains Regent Antonella Mularoni and Denise Amici(San Marino)Pope Francis received San Marino’s Captains Regent, discussing strong bilateral ties, the grave Middle East crisis, and reaffirming shared commitment to peace and international cooperation.30September 6, 2013 President Evo Morales(Bolivia)Pope Francis met Bolivian President Evo Morales, discussing Bolivia’s social, economic, and religious issues, Church support in education and health, Church-state cooperation, and peace in Syria and the Middle East.31September 12, 2013 Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra(Thailand)Pope Francis met Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra, highlighting strong Holy See–Thailand ties, Church-State cooperation in education and welfare, and stressing dialogue for peace, rights, and justice in Asia.32 Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza