Chile’s President Kast, Pope Leo discuss peace, falling birth rates

November 05, 2026

Pope Leo XIV received President José Antonio Kast of Chile on November 4.

Following the 40-minute audience, President Kast said that Pope Leo “expressed his concern for peace” and “expressed his interest in the family, in the birth rate that is becoming increasingly difficult in the different nations.”

The Chilean president subsequently met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

During the conversation, “the good existing relations between the Holy See and Chile were emphasized, and reference was made to the significant contribution of the Catholic Church to the social life of the country, as well as its spiritual life through popular religiosity,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement. “Attention then turned to some matters of common interest in the regional and international sphere, with particular reference to migration and demographic decline.”

Located in South America, Chile, a nation of 19.1 million (map), is 87% Christian (61% Catholic).

 

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Further information:

• Kast visita al Papa y defiende sus reuniones con el líder de Vox y Meloni: “Nadie podría decir que es una gira de carácter ideológico” (El País, 11/4/26)
• Audience with the President of the Republic of Chile (Holy See Press Office, 11/4/26)
• Pope Leo receives President of Chile at the Vatican (Vatican News, 11/4/26)