A Meeting of Faith and Diplomacy as President Bio Receives Papal Audience

By Betty Milton
Information Attaché
Sierra Leone Embassy, Brussels

His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio was received in audience today by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.

The visit reaffirmed the longstanding friendship between Sierra Leone and the Holy See and explored opportunities for further cooperation. It also provided an occasion to reflect on faith and dialogue as sources of unity and to express appreciation for the Catholic Church’s contribution to Sierra Leone’s national development.

For President Bio, a devout Catholic, the audience carried both personal and national significance. Generations of Sierra Leoneans have benefited from education in Catholic schools, healthcare provided by Church-run facilities, and the Catholic Church’s longstanding efforts to promote peace and reconciliation.

The visit expressed Sierra Leone’s gratitude for the Church’s contributions and its desire to strengthen this partnership for generations to come.

The President’s delegation comprised devout Catholics and senior government officials, including the Minister of Finance, Mr Karefa Kargbo, and Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Philip Bob Jusu.

President Bio also held a bilateral meeting with His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See.