Vatican City: The Vatican has announced a series of high-level diplomatic engagements later this week, with Pope Leo XIV scheduled to meet separately with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Poland’s recently elected President Karol Nawrocki. The meetings highlight the Holy Father’s ongoing commitment to fostering dialogue with world leaders amid turbulent global challenges.
On Thursday morning, Pope Leo XIV will welcome Israeli President Isaac Herzog for a private audience in the Apostolic Palace. This marks the second encounter between the Pope and President Herzog, following their initial meeting during the Mass inaugurating the Pontiff’s Petrine Ministry on May 18. After the papal audience, President Herzog will also hold discussions with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, underscoring the diplomatic importance of Israel-Holy See relations.
President Herzog, who has served as Israel’s head of state since 2021, has been actively engaged in advancing interfaith dialogue and regional cooperation during his presidency. His meeting with Pope Leo is expected to touch upon issues of peace in the Middle East, ongoing conflicts in the region, and the Catholic Church’s longstanding support for interreligious understanding, particularly between Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
The following day, Pope Leo XIV will turn his attention to Europe, receiving Polish President Karol Nawrocki in his first official visit to the Vatican since assuming office on August 6, 2025. This inaugural encounter carries special weight, given the deep historical ties between Poland and the Catholic Church, as well as the country’s role in shaping Europe’s moral and political landscape. Discussions are likely to include Poland’s domestic challenges, the European Union’s evolving role in global affairs, and the importance of safeguarding religious freedom in the modern world.
By receiving the two presidents in close succession, Pope Leo XIV continues to demonstrate the Vatican’s role as a bridge-builder in international diplomacy. His audiences with President Herzog and President Nawrocki signal the Holy See’s active engagement on issues ranging from peace in the Holy Land to the strengthening of Europe’s moral and social fabric.
As global instability deepens with wars, humanitarian crises, and social divisions straining communities worldwide the Pope’s meetings this week are expected to underscore a recurring theme of his pontificate: the urgent call for dialogue, reconciliation, and the pursuit of the common good beyond political divides.