The Prime Minister of Latvia, Evika Siliņa, had the honor of a private audience with Pope Leo XIV, reported the State Chancellery of Latvia.
During a private audience, the Prime Minister presented the Pope with a gift — an ethnographic wreath of the folk costume of Nica–Barta and a photographic reproduction of the painting by the laureate of the USSR State Prize, Gemma Skulme, titled "Heritage. II Song." Siliņa emphasized that this gift symbolically unites Christianity with Latvian folk traditions and reminds us of the path of Latvian identity through history.
"During the Soviet occupation, Latvia lost a lot. We could not freely gather, express our faith, and our culture. By giving this wreath, I felt that I could confidently say: Latvia has restored its strength, its identity, its faith, and the Latvian language," said Siliņa.
According to Siliņa, the Pope was genuinely pleased to see how many believers from Latvia had arrived for the National Pilgrimage. A service in the Latvian language was held at the altar of St. Peter's Basilica, in which Siliņa participated along with 200 Latvian pilgrims.
After the meeting, the head of government emphasized that Latvia has historically been closely linked to Christianity. "For a long time, our land was called Terra Mariana, or the Land of Mary, which symbolized our belonging to Christian Europe and faith as a spiritual support in different times. Today, we are united by faith, hope, and the desire for peace," said Siliņa.
She noted that Latvia has complex neighbors, and history has often placed the country at the crossroads of wars and changes. "Therefore, we have always had to defend both our state and the safety of our people. Our dialogue with the Holy See is particularly important. We are united in our desire for a just world, supporting Ukraine while simultaneously strengthening the security of our state," emphasized Siliņa.
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Man bija liels gods gan kā svētceļniecei, gan kā valdības vadītājai tikties ar Viņa Svētību pāvestu Leonu XIV, pārstāvot Latviju šeit, Vatikānā.
— Evika Siliņa 🇱🇻🇺🇦 (@EvikaSilina) November 24, 2025
Pasniedzu Viņa Svētībai īpašu dāvanu no Latvijas: Nīcas–Bārtas tautastērpa etnogrāfisko vainagu un Džemmas Skulmes gleznas “Mantojums.… pic.twitter.com/YBiSOjJnJC
