Zimbabwe's long-ruling President Robert Mugabe attended the inauguration of Pope Francis in Rome March 2013.
The 89-year-old, who is a conservative Catholic, has been subject to a European Union travel ban since 2002 following allegations of election rigging and human rights abuses.
However, he was able to travel to the Vatican, which is technically a state within a state and not part of the EU, although any visitor must pass through Italian territory.
Pope Francis was officially installed as the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Tuesday, the Vatican said, and a papal inaugural mass is customarily attended by heads of state and governments.
Mugabe, who has ruled the southern African country since independence from Britain in 1980, last visited the Vatican in April 2011 when he joined world dignitaries for the beatification of Pope John Paul.
This blog belongs to the Nkhotakota Community Radio Staion, which was set up as a community project by Malawi National Commission for UNESCO to promote community participation in developmental activities.
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