Facebook CEO’s meets the leader of the Catholic Church. Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, went to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis on Monday. During the Exchange, Mr. Zuckerberg and the Bishop talked about the importance of technology to alleviate poverty, according to a statement from the Vatican Press Office.
The famous programmer went to Italy over the weekend to attend the wedding of fellow business person and Spotify’s CEO, Daniel Ek. He also scheduled reunions with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, and Pope Francis.
The meeting took place in the Santa Marta residence, the Pope’s house. Zuckerberg posted some remarks about the encounter on his Facebook page, saying he could feel the bishop’s warmth and kindness, and how deeply he cares about helping people.
Mark Zuckerberg and Pope Francis want to encourage culture of encounter
Other topics of the conversation included the recent earthquake in Italy, a disastrous event causing over 300 deaths and several injuries. The catastrophe happened just days before the CEO announced a trip to the country.
The programmer posted a picture on his page where he handles a model of Facebook’s Aquila to the Pope. The solar-powered drone is designed to deliver wireless internet to developing countries and recently achieved its first full flight.
The CEO and his wife also talked about the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative with the bishop. The limited liability company was founded in 2015 and promotes equality in areas such as health, education, scientific research, and energy.
Facebook’s creator almost chooses a different career because of his love for Rome
On Monday morning, Mark Zuckerberg held one of his Town Halls in Rome. The CEO commonly invites local communities to these events to ask him questions about the social network and the plans of the company. The Town Hall was live-streamed on Zuckerberg’s page.
After giving sympathies for the families affected by the earthquake, the programmer professed his love for Roman culture. He even said Facebook almost didn’t happen, because his original intention was to study Classics in college. The CEO ended majoring in computer science and psychology instead.
During the Q&A, people asked Mr. Zuckerberg about social media becoming news outlets. Although he agreed there were advantages to getting information from different parts of the world, The CEO made clear his purpose with the network.
“WE’RE A TECH COMPANY, NOT A MEDIA COMPANY,’’ he said.
Source: CNN Money