The president of the United States, Joe Biden, will visit the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis next month, in what would be his last international trip as president.
The White House press office specified that Biden will travel to Rome, from January 9 to 12, to meet separately with the highest representative of the Catholic Church, the president of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, and the prime minister of Italy, Giorgia. Meloni.
“On January 10, President Biden will have an audience with the pope and discuss efforts to promote peace around the world,” the White House said.
He said he will also meet with Italian leaders to highlight the strength of the relationship between the United States and Italy, thank Prime Minister Meloni for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year and discuss the important challenges facing the world.
Biden, a practicing Catholic, met privately with Pope Francis earlier this year while in Italy for the Group of Seven leaders’ meeting.
He also met with Francis at the Vatican in 2021, when they had a wide-ranging conversation about climate change, poverty and the coronavirus pandemic. Their warm conversation also touched on the loss of the president’s adult son, Beau, who died of cancer in 2015, and included jokes about aging well.
Biden’s support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage has put him at odds with many American bishops, some of whom have suggested he should be denied communion.
But after the Vatican meeting in 2021, Biden said Francis called him a “good Catholic” who should continue receiving communion.
Biden’s presidency will end on January 20, when Donald Trump inaugurates his term.
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