VATICAN CITY (VATICAN CITY)
Brno Daily [Brno, Czech Republic]
January 20, 2026
Pope Leo XIV received Czech President Petr Pavel for an audience in the Vatican yesterday morning, where they discussed issues such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Trump’s territorial ambitions on Greenland, and sexual abuse in the Catholic church.
“The Pope sees us as a country that is trying to follow the path that he is also trying to promote,” Pavel told reporters before his visit to the Vatican. “This means not supporting conflicts, but rather contributing to their resolution.”
In addition to the war in Ukraine, they discussed conflicts in the Middle East and the recent return of Czech citizen Jan Darmovzal from Venezuela, for which the Czech Republic sought the Pope’s help, according to the president.
The president also raised the issue of sexual abuse in the Church, following an open letter from victims of the Czech Catholic Church, who last week asked him to represent them to the Pope. Before his trip, Pavel said that the head of the church has a clear view on the matter and encourages church leaders to try to solve the problem.
Pavel was visiting the Vatican for the first time since the election of the new pontiff last year. He wrote on social media after the meeting that Pope Leo had accepted an invitation to visit the Czech Republic, which would be the first visit from a Pope since Benedict XVI’s trip in September 2009, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution.
“Eva and I greatly appreciate that the Pope has accepted our invitation to visit the Czech Republic, and we hope to welcome him here soon,” Pavel said.
After the first private part of the audience, the president was joined by First Lady Eva Pavlova. After a meeting with Leo XIV lasting approximately half an hour, Pavel went on to meet the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Speaking after the meeting, Pavel told Czech journalists that he and Pope Leo had discussed Greenland, and had agreed that not all options for resolving the situation surrounding Greenland and US-European relations had been exhausted. Respect for the rules should take precedence over pressure, said Pavel.
US President Donald Trump is seeking to acquire Greenland, which is an autonomous Danish territory. Over the weekend, he threatened several European countries with the introduction of tariffs because of the issue, and has not ruled out the use of military force.
“We agreed that democratic countries are and should be natural partners who build not only on respect for the rules, but also on a culture of negotiation, diplomacy rather than pressure, whether economic or military pressure,” Pavel said after about half an hour of talks with Leo XIV.
The Pope and President Pavel agreed that the current period could be a turning point, precisely because of the pressure Trump is exerting on Europe. Pavel said that as a result of this pressure, Europe must define itself and decide which direction to take.
“Whether there will be a group of countries that will adhere to the European values and principles on which the European Union was founded, or whether there will be some kind of split based on a situation where some representatives of European countries, or even entire states, would officially side with the use of force regardless of rights and rules,” Pavel said.
Later, the presidential couple visited the Nepomucenum College, where they met Rector Tomas Koumal, Czech seminarians, and Borromean sisters. Representatives of the college presented the president with a Legionary flag. At the end of the visit, they laid flowers at the tomb of St. Cyril in the Basilica of St. Clement.