Catholicos Garegin II met with Pope Francis today at the Vatican and the two church leaders discussed problems now facing Christian communities in the Middle East and the rights of Christian churches in Jerusalem.

The two, according to a Etchmiadzin Holy See press release, also discussed recent political developments in Armenia.

Catholicos Garegin II then met with Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.