A statement from the Vatican press office noted that the two discussed “the important contribution offered [in Senegal] by the Church in the sectors of education and healthcare” as well as the Church’s “commitment to promoting peace and national reconciliation.”
There was also “an exchange of views on various themes of international interest, with particular reference to the current situations of crisis in the Region,” the statement added.
The president subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by the acting secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.
Senegal is 94% Muslim, with a small Christian (mostly Catholic) minority of about 4%.
Sall was elected in 2012, succeeding Abdoulaye Wade, who at 85 and having already served the two-term limit, still ran for a third term. He lost in a third round of elections, with Sall gaining 66% of the vote.
Senegal has been lauded for its efficient response to the outbreak of ebola in the region, tracking and treating the one case of ebola in the country and being declared ebola free in October.
