Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CM Pinarayi Vijayan received an invitation from the Vatican to meet Pope Leo XIV in March, following a request made by state govt through Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli seeking an audience with the pontiff.K V Thomas, state’s special representative in Delhi, said the letter, written in Latin, approved a 16-member delegation led by the CM, which will include Thomas. According to the communication, the meeting was scheduled for March 4 at the Vatican. “The programme includes a handshake greeting with the Pope. However, state govt is yet to take a final decision on the visit,” Thomas said. The CM’s office said no decision was taken on the visit as the assembly election date will be announced in the first week of March. State govt sought an appointment with the pontiff last Dec.