Pope Francis has urged the embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to alleviate people's suffering and negotiate with the opposition to solve his country's crisis.
The private, evening meeting took place in the context of the "worrying" situation in Venezuela which was "weighing heavily on the entire population", a Vatican statement said.
It said the pope had urged Maduro to "courageously take up the path of sincere and constructive dialogue to alleviate the suffering of the people, most of all the poor, and to promote a climate of renewed social cohesion, which will allow people to look to the future of the nation with hope".
Pope Francis played a key role in facilitating the recent rapprochement between Cuba and the US, and he made a highly significant visit to the Central African Republic last November despite frequent outbreaks of violence there.
Despite its oil wealth, Venezuela has plunged into economic crisis, with many people skipping meals due to shortages and soaring prices.
Maduro was on a tour of oil-producing countries and first notice of his presence in Italy came in the Vatican statement.
Significantly, the meeting with the pope came as a joint announcement in Caracas said the government and the opposition would hold talks on Sunday. It was not clear if Maduro would attend.
Venezuela has seen a worsening political stand-off and protests since the suspension of a referendum drive to remove the unpopular Maduro.
Critics say Maduro, 53, has veered openly into dictatorship by side-lining the opposition-led congress, jailing opponents and then leaning on compliant judicial and electoral authorities to stop a recall referendum.
Additional reporting by Reuters.
