ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 19, 2024 / 14:45 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis received Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon — who was accompanied by his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez — at the Vatican last week.
The Vatican Press Office made no mention of the meeting in its bulletin where it generally reports on the meetings that the Holy Father holds on a daily basis.
According to the Daily Mail, Pope Francis’ meeting with Bezos and Sanchez took place on Thursday, Aug. 15, the day the Catholic Church celebrates the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
On her Instagram account, Sanchez said that “it was an honor for Jeff and I to spend time with His Holiness, @franciscus at his home in the Vatican.”
null
“His wisdom, warmth, and humor were deeply touching. He reminded us not to take life too seriously, a simple yet powerful reminder to keep lightness in our hearts,” she commented.
Bezos’ fiancée related that “we also discussed the urgent need for climate action, something he’s passionate about, as are all of us at the Bezos Earth Fund.”
Sanchez also noted that what Pope Francis believes about “finding beauty and meaning in everything we do resonated deeply with me. I love that he encourages priests to read poetry and literature to stay connected with the human spirit.”
In closing, the 54-year-old said she was “grateful for this incredible blessing and for the gentle wisdom he shared with us.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.
Of course love for the beauty of nature, preserving the environment is his better side as recognized by Ms Lauren. Bezos’ Earth Fund is a good cause. So I won’t be negative and mention His Holiness’ affection for Earth goddess Pachamama. Would that Francis I and Jeff Bezos have more concern for the millions of little ones who’ll never see the beauty of nature.
An interesting aside is the Pachamama Alliance, an NGO which has been around for some years with special interest in the indigenous of the Amazon. “Our courses are inspired by a request from those partners [Achuar people] to shift the culture of the global north from consumption, exploitation, and extraction to one that honors and sustains all life” (Pachamama Alliance mission statement). We get the growing sense as Vatican affairs go that the Church appears to be steered in a like shift of direction.
Now, the real question is this: Will Francis make time to meet with the four dubia Cardinals?
Define fiancee, pls.
Girlfriend, partner, fiancee – what’s the difference?
Elsewhere, I learn that these two have two children.
How about “common-law wife”?