Now, they meet for the first time as peers and fellow heads of state, with an agenda that is expected to include climate, poverty and the global response to Covid-19. Kennedy was careful to establish independence from Rome, Biden has not shied from highlighting how his faith has shaped his career, nor from the relationship he’s developed with Francis, grounded in shared faith and philosophy and deepened through multiple face-to-face meetings. But Friday’s meeting is unlike any before between a pope and a president, more of a reunion between two men who over the past decade have developed a close personal and even political bond.

history, a Roman Catholic president arrived at the Vatican for a meeting with his church's leader. The president-elect politely declined, saying he’d already received it - a signed copy sent by the pontiff himself.įor just the second time in U.S. ROME - As Joe Biden prepared to assume the presidency, a close friend offered to send him Pope Francis’ new book for inspiration.