Pope Refuses to Meet With Dalai Lama Due to 'Problems'

Pope Francis denied a meeting with the Dalai Lama in Rome this week, saying he would not meet with the Tibetan leader due to the leader's relationship with China.

Rumors of the pope's refusal to meet the Tibetan leader comes as Nobel Peace Prize laureates gather in Rome for a meeting. The Dalai Lama had reportedly requested a meeting with the pope.

According to BBC, a Vatican spokesperson said that although the pope hold the Dalai Lama "in very high regard," he denied the request of the meeting "for obvious reasons".

Although local media outlets and representatives for the Dalai Lama confirmed the pope's meeting cancellation, another statement from the Vatican sought to dispel the rumors by saying the pope would not be meeting with any Nobel Peace Prize laureates during their Rome conference.

"Pope Francis obviously holds the Dalai Lama in very high regard, but he will not be meeting any of the Nobel laureates," Vatican spokesperson the Rev. Federico Lombardi told the New York Times.

The Dalai Lama has had a tense relationship with China for the past several years, with leaders in the Asian country describing the Tibetan leader as a separatist and a political nemesis.

The Tibetan leader also issued a statement regarding the pope's refusal to meet him, saying: "The Vatican administration says it is not possible because it could cause problems."

"This time I won't meet Pope Francis," Dalai Lama added, saying he would have been "very happy" to do so.