Romanian author Mircea Cărtărescu was granted an audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican this Wednesday. The meeting commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Libreria Editrice Vaticana (LEV), the Vatican’s publishing house. Cărtărescu was among a group of international writers invited to the event. His narrative works, translated into Italian, were a contributing factor to the invitation. The audience took place in the Hall adjacent to Paul VI Hall within the Vatican City. Vatican News reported on the event, highlighting the gathering of literary figures with the Pope. This meeting underscores the Vatican’s continued engagement with the global literary community.