After the one-hour meeting, Biden – only the second Catholic president in US history – was supposed to have a conversation with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
Biden was greeted by dignitaries of the Vatican in front of the Apostolic Palace. The actual meeting with the Pope should take place behind closed doors. According to the White House, the talks with Francis should, among other things, focus on the fight against the corona pandemic, climate change and the global fight against poverty.
At first it remained unclear whether the controversial topic of abortion would also be discussed. Biden’s government supports the right to abortion, which is contrary to the position of the Catholic Church. Individual US bishops had therefore called for Biden to be excluded from communion. The Pope then warned that bishops should be pastors and not politicians. Francis said in September that he had not refused communion to anyone.
Biden, who regularly goes to church, is considered a devout Catholic. On the first day of his term in office, there were family photos as well as a picture with Pope Francis in his office. The first Catholic US president was John F. Kennedy.