ROME —President Joe Biden and Pope Francis wrapped up their meeting at the Vatican Friday. The one-on-one meeting between the world's two most notable Roman Catholics started at noon and lasted about 75 minutes, an unusually long time for an audience with the pontiff.
During their visit, President Biden thanked His Holiness for his advocacy for the world’s poor and those suffering from hunger, conflict, and persecution, according to a statement from the White House. He lauded Pope Francis’ leadership in fighting the climate crisis, as well as his advocacy to ensure the pandemic ends for everyone through vaccine sharing and an equitable global economic recovery.
Biden says abortion did not come up in the meeting. But the president says the pontiff told him he should continue to receive Communion, despite calls from conservatives Catholics to deny Biden the sacrament over his stance on abortion. Speaking to reporters after his private audience with the pope, Biden said Francis told him “He was happy I’m a good Catholic” and that he should “keep receiving Communion.”
After an audience with His Holiness, President Biden met Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin. The President thanked Cardinal Parolin for the Vatican’s active leadership in fighting the climate crisis— both through advocacy and encouraging the climate neutrality of hundreds of Christian organizations worldwide.
The leaders discussed efforts to rally global support for vaccinating the developing world against COVID-19. President Biden thanked the Vatican for speaking out on behalf of the wrongfully detained, including in Venezuela and Cuba. The leaders committed to continue using their voices to advocate for personal and religious freedoms world-wide, according to the White House.
-The Associated Press contributed to this report.