Pope Francis has met with the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the first-such meeting of its kind, on the eve of the dedication of the church's huge new temple in Rome.

The Vatican offered no details of Francis' Saturday audience with the church's president, Russell Nelson, and the 14 elders who make up the leadership of the church, widely known as the Mormon church. The Latter-day Saints said it was the first time their entire leadership had gathered outside the U.S.

The leaders are in town for the dedication Sunday of their new temple complex, which features an oval-shaped marble house of worship crowning a hilltop and a visitor center featuring a larger-than-life marble statue of Christ surrounded by smaller statues of the apostles.