Pope Francis received Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon — who was accompanied by his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez — at the Vatican in mid-August.
The Vatican Press Office made no mention of the meeting in its bulletin where it generally reports on the meetings that the Holy Father holds on a daily basis.
According to the Daily Mail, Pope Francis’ meeting with Bezos and Sanchez took place on Thursday, Aug. 15, the day the Catholic Church celebrates the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
On her Instagram account, Sanchez said that “it was an honor for Jeff and I to spend time with His Holiness, @franciscus at his home in the Vatican.”
“His wisdom, warmth, and humor were deeply touching. He reminded us not to take life too seriously, a simple yet powerful reminder to keep lightness in our hearts,” she commented, according to a Catholic News Agency report.
Bezos’ fiancée related that “we also discussed the urgent need for climate action, something he’s passionate about, as are all of us at the Bezos Earth Fund.”
Sanchez also noted that what Pope Francis believes about “finding beauty and meaning in everything we do resonated deeply with me. I love that he encourages priests to read poetry and literature to stay connected with the human spirit.”
In closing, the 54-year-old said she was “grateful for this incredible blessing and for the gentle wisdom he shared with us.”
