WelCom November 2021
Pope Francis has met with President Joe Biden at the Vatican, the first Catholic President since John F Kennedy. President Biden was in Rome for a meeting of the G20 Summit, in late October.
According to a Vatican statement, the Parties focused on the joint commitment to the protection and care of the planet, the healthcare situation and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the theme of refugees and assistance to migrants.
The two leaders exchanged gifts. One of the gifts President Biden gave Pope Francis was a ‘command coin,’ which is given ‘to warriors and leaders, and you are the most significant warrior for peace I’ve ever met,’ said the President.
President Biden met with the Pope two days before he travelled to Glasgow to attend the COP26 United Nations summit on climate change. On the day they met, Pope Francis released a statement calling for radical action on climate change.
‘These crises present us with the need to take decisions, radical decisions that are not always easy,’ he said. ‘At the same time, moments of difficulty like these also present opportunities, opportunities that we must not waste.’
President Biden has been under pressure from conservative bishops in the US over his support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage, which they argue disqualifies him from receiving Communion. President Biden said abortion did not come up in the meeting. ‘We just talked about the fact he was happy that I was a good Catholic and I should keep receiving Communion,’ he said.
Sources: Vatican News. CNA
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