Brazil’s Lula sees Pope Francis in ‘very friendly’ encounter on busy day in Rome

ROME (AP) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has given Pope Francis a warm hug as he arrived for a meeting. The Vatican termed the meeting a “very friendly” reunion of two old friends. The Argentine pope seemed in particularly good spirits as he hosted Lula for around 45 minutes Wednesday. That, just days after getting out of the hospital following abdominal surgery. Standing up, Francis presented Lula with a brass plaque of a flower entitled “Peace is a fragile flower.” Francis told the Brazilian leader: “We’re in a time of war; peace is very fragile.”