Biden to travel to Italy for meetings with pope, Meloni in January
by Alex Gangitano - 12/19/24 6:12 PM ET
President Biden will travel to Italy in January for meetings with Pope Francis, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
The trip, from Jan. 9 to 12, will likely be his last foreign trip as president before President-elect Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20.
Biden will have an audience with the pope on Jan. 10 to “discuss efforts to advance peace around the world,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
“He will also meet with Italy’s leaders to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship, thank Prime Minister Meloni for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year, and discuss important challenges facing the world,” she added.
Biden is just the second Catholic president in U.S. history and has a relationship with the pope, who has supported him despite the church’s teachings against abortion. The two met in June while Biden was in Italy for Group of Seven meetings.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5049710-biden-pope-meeting-january/
