President Julius Maada Bio has held a high-level meeting with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, Rome, marking their first reported encounter since the Pope’s election in 2025.
In a post on his official social media handles, President Bio described the audience as a “profound honour” and praised the Pontiff’s leadership for peace, justice and global solidarity.
The President also shared photographs showing him and First Lady Fatima Bio in discussions with the Holy Father.
The meeting, held on Wednesday, is part of President Bio’s ongoing engagements in Europe and comes at a time when Sierra Leone continues to strengthen its relations with the Holy See, particularly on areas of education, health and peacebuilding.
Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost-Martinez in Chicago on 14 September 1955, made history in May 2025 when he was elected as the 267th Pope following the death of Pope Francis. He is the first Pope from the United States and North America, and also holds Peruvian citizenship after serving for nearly a decade as Bishop of Chiclayo in northern Peru and later as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
A member of the Order of Saint Augustine, Pope Leo XIV is known for his missionary work in Latin America and his focus on social justice, synodality and church reform.
Sierra Leone, a religiously tolerant nation with a significant Catholic population, has long enjoyed cordial relations with the Vatican. Catholic missions run some of the country’s leading schools and health facilities across the country.
Details of the discussions between President Bio and the Pope have not been officially disclosed, but sources suggest they touched on global peace, interfaith dialogue, education, and Sierra Leone’s development agenda.
President Bio is expected to continue his engagements in Europe in the coming days.