Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) met on Thursday (13) with Pope Francis at the Vatican and said he had talked to him "about a more just and fraternal world," including the environmental issue.
According to the PT's spokesperson, the meeting lasted about an hour. The Lula Institute, on its Twitter account, published photos of the meeting and cited the intention of "discussing and thinking about solutions to injustices and inequalities in the world."
The former president arrived at the Vatican around 3:30 pm local time in a car with dark windows. The Santa Sé said it would not issue an official statement due to the private nature of the meeting.
At a news conference, Lula said that the pope "wants to do things that are irreversible, that remain forever within society."
"I think that if every human being, when he reaches 84 years old, has the strength, the disposition and the determination that he has, and raises important issues for the debate, I think we can find solutions [to the problems of the world] more easily, " the former president said.
Given the meeting with Pope Francis, Lula asked the Federal Justice of the Federal District to postpone a deposition that he would grant under Operation Zelotes - initially scheduled for Tuesday (11).
Judge Ricardo Augusto Soares Leite authorized it, and the hearing will take place next week, on the 19th. Lula returns to Brazil on Saturday (15).
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon