Pope 'will meet Meriam,' says NGO

(ANSA) - Rome, July 24 - Pope Francis will meet Meriam Ibrahim during her stay in Rome, an NGO that has campaigned for the Christian woman who was sentenced to death in majority-Muslim Sudan for apostasy said on Thursday. "Meriam will crown her dream and she will see the pope," said Antonella Napoli, president of the Italians for Darfur association, via Twitter.
    "I promised it to her when we met".
    The tweet came shortly after Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told ANSA that "no decision" had been made on whether Francis will meet Meriam, who was released from death row after her case sparked international outrage.
    But qualified Vatican sources confirmed that a meeting would take place on Wednesday.
    Junior Foreign Minister Lapo Pistelli, who led the Italian government's negotiations with Khartoum for Meriam to be allowed to leave Sudan and accompanied her to Italy, said that the woman and her family with probably have some "important meetings in the coming days".
    "The Holy Father has been informed by Premier (Matteo) Renzi about this case and he expressed his gratitude to our country," added Pistelli.
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