Vatican City; Rome, Italy

On Monday 25 June 2018, the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), and Lady Cosgrove met with His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of State of the Holy See, at the Apostolic Palace, Vatican City.

Afterwards, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove met with His Eminence the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, Holy See.

Later, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove, as guests of Father Anthony Casamento CSMA, Vice President, Australian Catholic University (ACU) visited the university’s Rome campus and met with students and staff.

In the afternoon, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove attended a short prayer service led by Father Michael Kelly at the burial site of Francis Xavier Conaci, an Indigenous Benedictine student who died in Rome in 1853.

In the evening, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove, as guest of Her Excellency Ms Melissa Hitchman, Ambassador to the Holy See, attended a faith-based reception for the Australian-Holy See community, at the Ambassador’s Residence.