Pope Francis and Vladimir Putin hold 'constructive' talks

c. 2013 Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican called Monday’s (Nov. 25) much-heralded summit between Pope Francis and Russian President Vladimir Putin “constructive” and “cordial,” though there was little immediate indication it would lead to further dialogue.

The 35-minute closed-door meeting got underway about 40 minutes behind schedule, due to Putin’s late arrival and focused on Syria, as expected, an area where Francis and Putin are unexpected allies.