Biden, along with First Lady Gill Biden, paid a visit to the Vatican on Friday, Oct. 29, to meet with the Pope, who had previously morally supported him in the loss of his son Bo following a serious illness with cancer, CNN reports.
Catholicism and other key issues are expected to be discussed, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. Their discussions are also expected to address climate, migration and income inequality, areas where the parties agree.
From the beginning, Biden attended an initial one-on-one meeting with Francis, which lasted 90 minutes, followed by an extended bilateral meeting with several members of Biden’s administration, as well as Franciscan and Vatican officials.
Biden was the 14th President of the United States to meet with the Pope in the Vatican. President Woodro Wilson was the first to do so in 1919.
The Vatican has canceled Baiden’s meeting with the pope live due to opposition from journalists. Vatican spokesman Mateo Bruni said the Vatican would distribute a video after the meeting showing some of the arrival and the pope’s greeting.
Although common topics are expected to be discussed.
Discussions on differences of opinion at past meetings between popes and US presidents have taken place in the past, for example, when Pope John Paul II failed to persuade President George W. Bush to stop the American invasion of Iraq. The White House spokeswoman said the parties would focus on areas of consensus – poverty, tackling the climate crisis, ending the Covid-19 pandemic and hardly discussing sensitive issues such as abortion, where there are differences of opinion. Biden supports women’s right to choose an abortion, but Francis has called the intentional termination of a pregnancy a “murder.”
She also said that Biden attributed “absolutely personal significance” to Friday’s meeting and that she suspected it would be a “warm meeting”.
Biden is the second Roman Catholic to serve as president of the United States, does not hide his belief in the faith, and attends Sunday Masses regularly. He has met the head of the Roman Catholic Church three times, but will now meet with the pope for the first time since winning the US presidential election.-
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