France, April 9 -- Macron will hold talks with Pope Leo on Friday morning, after spending Thursday evening meeting members of the Community of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic charity and peace organisation.

They will be the first in-person discussions between the two since Leo took office last May.

Events in the Middle East are expected to dominate. Both Macron and the Pope have welcomed the ceasefire agreed between the United States and Iran, intended to halt fighting for two weeks while further negotiations take place.

However, Israel has continued strikes on Lebanon, home to one of the largest Christian minorities in the Middle East.

Lebanon is a particular concern for both France and the Vatican, Macron's office said in a statem...