Pope Francis has met Pope Emeritus Benedict this afternoon in what is believed to be the first ever meeting between a pontiff and his predecessor. 

The talks round-off a historic few weeks for the Catholic Church after Benedict became the first Pope to resign in over 700 years and Francis became the Church's first non-European leader in over a thousand years. 

The two pontiffs prayed together before their meeting which ended with Benedict escorting Pope Francis back to his helicopter.