Albanian Bishop Gjergj Meta while meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican

 At the Wednesday General Audience in the Vatican, Bishop of the Diocese of Rrëshen, Monsignor Gjergj Meta, had a personal meeting with His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV.

Albanian Bishop Gjergj Meta while meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican 

During the encounter, Bishop Meta warmly congratulated the Holy Father on his election as the Successor of Saint Peter, conveying heartfelt greetings on behalf of the bishops and the entire Catholic Church in Albania.

The bishop also extended an official invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit Albania, expressing the deep desire of Albanian Catholics to welcome the Holy Father to their homeland.

Bishop Meta informed the Pope that just this past Sunday, he had joined the Albanian Catholic community in Italy in a special prayer for him at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano—a place held in deep reverence by Albanian faithful.

The meeting served as a powerful expression of the unity between the Albanian Catholic Church and the Vatican, and highlighted the enduring hope for a future papal visit to Albania.