Putin meets pope, venerates icon of Mary

Photo ~ Vladimar Putin and Pope Francis bend to kiss an icon of the Madonna, given to Francis by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Monday, Nov. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano) VATICAN CITY …More
Photo ~ Vladimar Putin and Pope Francis bend to kiss an icon of the Madonna, given to Francis by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Monday, Nov. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano)
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin showed off his religious side during a visit Monday to the Vatican, stopping to cross himself and kiss an icon of the Madonna that he gave to Pope Francis. But Moscow's improving relations with the Vatican went only so far: Putin didn't invite Francis to visit.
The Vatican said Monday that ecumenical relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches weren't really discussed during the 35-minute discussion between Putin and Francis in the pope's private library, though Putin brought greetings from Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill.
Rather, the discussions between Putin and the pope, and then Putin and the Vatican's top diplomats, focused on Syria and the role of Christianity in society.
Francis gave Putin a ceramic mosaic of the Vatican gardens, and …More
On Guard
Thank you, Mr. Putin.