Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Monday that he discussed the company’s work as well as the philanthropic ventures he is pursuing with his wife, Priscilla Chan, during a meeting with Pope Francis.
“We told him how much we admire his message of mercy and tenderness, and how he’s found new ways to communicate with people of every faith around the world,” Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post.
{mosads}Zuckerberg gave the pontiff a model of a Facebook drone designed to provide internet access to hard-to-reach locales. It’s one part of the company’s aggressive effort to bring more people online worldwide.
“We also discussed the importance of connecting people, especially in parts of the world without internet access,” said Zuckerberg of his meeting with the pope.
The meeting also touched on the work of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the corporate entity through which Zuckerberg and Chan pursue their philanthropic goals.
The Vatican told CNN that the meeting focused on “how to use communications technology to alleviate poverty, encourage a culture of encounter, and to communicate a message of hope, especially to the most disadvantaged.”
Zuckerberg and Chan’s visit to Italy included a Monday meeting with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, during which they discussed the company’s burgeoning artificial intelligence efforts. Zuckerberg is also hosting a town hall at a Rome university.
Zuckerberg frequently travels around the globe as part of Facebook’s work to influence public policy, which is key, given that more than 80 percent of its user base is located outside of the United States and Canada.