APULIA (ITALY)/NEW DELHI, JUNE 14 :  Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Pope Francis on the sidelines of the G7 in Italy on Friday and exchanged a warm hug with the Pontif. He also invited Pope Francis to visit India. In a post on X, the PM said:

“Met Pope Francis on the sidelines of the @G7 Summit. I admire his commitment to serve people and make our planet better. Also invited him to visit India.“ The pontiff is using a wheelchair due to his health issues.

Videos shared on X showed the Pope smiling and greeting PM Modi and extending his arms to exchange a hug with the Indian PM. The two then exchanged a warm embrace. This is their second meeting.

PM Modi had met Pope Francis during a private audience at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican in October 2021.(UNI)