Pope Francis hosted US President Joe Biden at the Vatican for an unusually long private audience. The White House announced on Friday that after the roughly hour-and-a-half meeting, broader political talks followed, including with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Source: Belgian
Biden thanked the Pope for his commitment to the poor and those affected by the conflict. The White House said it praised the Pope’s commitment to combating climate change and the coronavirus pandemic. A regular churchgoer, Biden is considered the second Catholic president in American history.
The meeting between the 78-year-old president and the pope was supposed to last behind closed doors for an hour. After the conversation with Francis, Biden met with No. 2 at the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s Secretary of State.
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It was not clear whether the controversial topic of abortion was discussed. The Biden government supports the right to terminate a pregnancy, which goes against the position of the Catholic Church. Some US bishops have demanded that Biden, an important part of the audience, be barred from participating.
The US Bishops Conference said in June that it had not decided to exclude some people from the company. The Pope stated that bishops are advisors, not politicians. Francis said in September that he had not yet refused an offering to anyone. At the same time, he left no doubt that abortion is the “killing” of the Church.
Biden is considered a devout Catholic. On his first day in office, a portrait of Pope Francis appeared alongside family photos in his office. The first Catholic president of the United States was John F. Kennedy (1961-1963).
