Pope Francis welcomed Russian President Valdimir Putin to the Vatican for a 35-minute audience.  Although some looked to it as a possible beginning to thawing relations between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, there was no announcement of any break throughs, nor did Putin reciprocate and invite the Pope to Russia.

Pope Francis gave the Russian leader a ceramic mosaic of the Vatican gardens, and Putin presented Francis with an image of the icon of the Madonna of Vladimir, an important religious icon for the Russian Orthodox faithful.  Pope Francis is said to be especially interested in Marian Icons.

After they exchanged the gifts, Putin asked Francis if he liked the icon, and Francis said he did. Putin then crossed himself and kissed the image, and Francis followed suit.  Putin might have once been an atheist KGB agent, but he reportedly found religion after surviving a nasty car crash in 1996.