Both the adults and children had the chance to speak with the pontiff “about the beginning of their lives in Italy”, the Vatican said.
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The Syrian families were those brought by Pope Francis after his day-trip to Lesbos, Greece in April.
All 21 sat down for lunch with him at the Casa Santa Marta, a Vatican guesthouse, with the children presenting him with a book of their drawings.
While the Vatican is covering the living costs of the 21 refugees, they are being housed and resettled by the Community of Sant’Egidio, a lay community based in Rome.
The children gave the Holy Father a collection of their drawings, and the Pope showered them with toys and other gifts. A first group came on board the papal flight on April 16, and a second group came in mid-June.
A dozen flew out of Lesbos on the pope’s plane when he visited a refugee camp on the Greek island in April.
Francis has repeatedly condemned Western society for its indifference to refugees, making the cause of migrants trying to reach Europe one of the defining themes of his papacy. The community runs a large Italian language school for refugees, which the Syrians are attending. Human rights groups have criticised the arrangement.
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Pope Francis and his Syrian guests were also joined by the Substitute Secretary of State, Archbishop Angelo Becciù and Dr. Domenico Giani, Commander of the Vatican Gendarmerie, and two gendarmes who assisted with the transfer of the families from Lesbos to Italy, according to the communique.
