Pope Leo meets Catholic cardinal evacuated from Iran amid war

Pope Leo met at the Vatican on March 11 with Iran's senior Catholic leader, who has been evacuated from Tehran amid the ongoing war.

Cardinal Dominique Mathieu, originally from Belgium but serving in Iran since 2021, met with Leo as part of the pope's daily schedule of appointments. 

The Vatican, which does not normally comment on the pope's internal appointments with Church leaders, did not offer any details about the meeting.

Tehran's Catholic archdiocese is housed on the grounds of Italy's embassy to Iran, which has been evacuated and is temporarily closed.

Catholic bishops often remain in place during conflicts to minister to local Catholics, but Iran has only a few thousand Catholics. Many have also evacuated the country.

Production: Matteo Negri, Joshua McElwee/Reuters