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Apple CEO Tim Cook meeting privately with Pope Francis today

Screen Shot 2016-01-22 at 11.44.40

According to several sources, the Catholic Church Pope, Pope Francis, is meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook today for a private discussion. The exact agenda for the meeting is unknown, but ‘Signor Timothy Donald Cook’ is booked in for 11.30 as shown in the photo. The meetup is likely related to visits the Pope has been receiving from other tech giants. Francis met Eric Schmidt, Alphabet (Google’s) chairman last week. It could just be a cordial exchange of greetings.

Sky News reporter Tom Cheshire says the Pope shares Cook’s strong stance on the environment and ecology. Both Pope and Cook are frequently named in the “world’s most important leaders” lists, so they do share some common ground in regard to influence.

The last time the Pope and Cook appeared together in the news, people were concerned the Pope’s US tour would delay the delivery of their new iPhones.

Pope Francis is generally seen as a more modern religious leader than his predecessors, actively using Twitter to convey his messages. He has described the Internet as a ‘gift from god’. The iPhone is the most successful internet communications product on the planet, so there is some overlap. Although it is a strange pairing, Apple touches every party of the world today through the iPhone and this includes religion.

We’ve asked Apple about Tim Cook’s visit and will update if we hear anything. In all likelihood however, the topics will remain confidential.

 

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Comments

  1. wvb22 - 8 years ago

    15 minutes? That can’t be much more then a polite “hi how are you doing?”.

  2. Aunty T (@AuntyTroll) - 8 years ago

    Imagine living your life believing that you have to spend your life on your knees begging for forgiveness for a sin which was in no way your fault. Imagine knowing that even in death you have to worship God, and if you don’t you or even worse your CHILDREN, will be condemned to burn in Hell for eternity. Imagine having your life dictated to by male virgins who have caused the deaths of MILLIONS in Africa, by preaching that AIDS is bad, but condoms are even worse. Imagine preaching hope to over 1 billion people, most of who live in abject poverty, whilst sitting on priceless treasures. Imagine being the families of those children raped by Catholic priests, yet not having a voice because those priests are being protected by the Vatican. Imagine being gay and knowing that in the eyes of the Catholic church you are a wicked, immoral person. Or being classed as second class because you are a female.

    The Catholic church is a repulsive, wicked organisation. How anyone can kiss the finger of it’s leader – a leader who is DIRECTLY responsible for the misery, suffering and deaths of millions upon millions of innocents the world over is beyond me.

    • Thomas Georgetown - 8 years ago

      Imagine being so wrong in so many ways and living your life in ignorance.

    • André Hedegaard - 8 years ago

      Christopher Hitchens is sourly missed :(
      You should see the list that the Catholic church has made, apologizing for all previous atrocities towards mankind.
      Can you imagine how many people are still following and supporting this “church”.

  3. Dan Marinescu - 8 years ago

    it’s the only 15 minutes in the list… all others are 30 minutes…

  4. Dan Marinescu - 8 years ago

    why both meeting a church which conforming to bible is not even christian… state in state assassins with thousands of years of recorded genocidal history

  5. Dan Marinescu - 8 years ago

    remember friday 13?

  6. rogifan - 8 years ago

    I’m waiting for Tim Cook to become Apple CEO again. The past couple months he seems more like world traveling politician than Apple CEO.

    • cdm283813 - 8 years ago

      Heck, I’m still trying to decide what he does in relationship to products. Does he tell people that we need a watch and larger tablet and let them go for it or does he have precise control over every detail like Steve had?

  7. eklisiarh - 8 years ago

    He got the entire 15 minutes! This pope does not care much for capitalistic companies which are not doing anything to help the poor but instead stack their billions in the bank…

    • Aunty T (@AuntyTroll) - 8 years ago

      Bit of a hypocritical comment to make when the Catholic church is worth billions of dollars isn’t it. And before you say that the “Catholic church gives lots to help the poor” so they should, they are responsible for the untold misery and deaths of millions because of their preaching that condoms are evil. Of course, helping the poor shouldn’t be a yardstick of generosity – after all, many people do exactly the same who don’t even belong to a specific church.

    • Jake Becker - 8 years ago

      lol this

  8. flaviosuave - 8 years ago

    Perhaps they are discussing incorporating Apple into the Catholic Church. Think of all the write-offs!

    Android users might object, but shall be hoist upon their own petard with their “Apple is a cult!” comments numbering in the millions.

  9. Howie Isaacks - 8 years ago

    Wow. He gets a whole 15 minutes. And we’re supposed to care about this?

  10. Jonathan Brusco - 8 years ago

    Honestly… How awesome would an Apple Store be in Vatican City?!

  11. johnwwwatson - 8 years ago

    Really, some old dude in robes that condones child molestation and taxes believers is your proxy to god.
    What a pile of stinking chicken manure, I say chicken because Tim Cook is not worthy of bull manure. Steve Jobs would never give a check to make-believe religious authority. I will use my iphone, imac, ipad, and iwatch until they break. Tim Cook is embarrassing to APPLE. F the pope, F tim cook.

Author

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.