Latvian President Meets Pope Leo XIV and Invites Him to Visit Latvia

Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs used his first meeting with Pope Leo XIV to invite the new pontiff to visit Latvia.

During his visit to the Vatican, Rinkēvičs also met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s secretary of state. Their talks covered relations between Latvia and the Holy See, cooperation between Latvia and the Catholic Church, regional security and support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s aggression.

Rinkēvičs welcomed the Holy See’s role in efforts to return Ukrainian prisoners of war and children deported from Ukraine. “Latvia firmly supports the return to Ukraine of all illegally transferred and deported children, as well as holding Russia accountable for the crimes it has committed,” he said.

The two sides also discussed the situation in the Middle East and the conflict involving Iran. Rinkēvičs said Latvia supports a swift solution that would prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, restore the flow of goods through the Strait of Hormuz, end ongoing threats to shipping in the Red Sea and stop civilian suffering.

The meeting was the first between Rinkēvičs and Leo XIV since the pope’s election on May 8, 2025, as the 267th Bishop of Rome and successor to Saint Peter. Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, was born in Chicago in 1955 and became the first pope in the history of the Order of Saint Augustine. Sept. 3 marked 104 years since Latvia’s concordat with the Holy See took effect.

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Latvia firmly supports the return to Ukraine of all illegally transferred and deported children, as well as holding Russia accountable for the crimes it has committed.