Pope Francis, Apple CEO Tim Cook meet in private Vatican sit-down
Pope Francis previously met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier this year
Pope Francis met with Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday at a private sit-down in Rome.
The pontiff hosted the tech titan at the Vatican, the latest business mogul to request an audience with the pope after a headline-making meeting with Elon Musk.
"This morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience [...] Mr. Timothy Donald Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Apple," the Vatican published in its official diary of papal audiences.
The specifics of the discussion have not been disclosed, though many have speculated that artificial intelligence is at the forefront of both leaders' minds.
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Pope Francis has previously spoken about the benefits and dangers of AI technology, an industry in which Apple has aggressively funded research.
The pope asked Catholics worldwide in 2020 to pray "that the progress of robotics and artificial intelligence may always serve humankind."
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Cook has been in Italy since late September, where he opened the Apple Developer Academy, followed by an appearance at the University of Naples Federico II, where he received an honorary degree.
The Holy Father also met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier this year in July.
Musk shared a photo at the time of the pontiff with himself and four of his sons, saying he was "honored" to meet with the religious leader.
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Cook also recently attended a private meeting with several House Republican leaders on Wednesday to discuss issues surrounding tech censorship, according to a source familiar with the meeting.
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.; Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Rep. Tim McClintock, R-Calif. were among those who attended the Capitol Hill meeting on Wednesday.
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According to a source, the group discussed Big Tech censorship and what Republicans see as a bias against conservatives.
Issues surrounding China and privacy were also discussed.