Prof Jerry Pillay, Head of the Department of Church History and Church Polity in UP's Faculty of Theology, met with Pope Francis on 10 June 2016 in the Vatican City.

Prof Pillay is also President of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, based in Hannover, Germany. Among other things, they discussed the urgency of Reformed and Roman Catholic Christians working together to address the global issues of poverty, religious violence, environmental issues and injustices. They have agreed to move to the next stage of visible Christian unity and witness in the world.