The White House has announced that Pope Francis will meet with President Barack Obama in Washington during his upcoming visit to the U.S. to discuss a “wide range of issues.”Cathnews.com is reporting that the president and First Lady, Michelle Obama, will welcome the pope to the White House on September 23.
“During the visit, the President and the Pope will continue the dialogue which they began during the President’s visit to the Vatican in March, 2014, on their shared values and commitments on a wide range of issues, including caring for the marginalized and the poor; advancing economic opportunity for all; serving as good stewards of the environment; protecting religious minorities and promoting religious freedom around the world; and welcoming and integrating immigrants and refugees into our communities,” the White House said in a statement.
During last year’s visit with the president at the Vatican, the two leaders discussed several areas of tension between the Church and the White House such as religious freedom and medical ethics.
In a statement issued after the unusually long, 50-minute meeting, the Vatican confirmed that they had spoken about “questions of particular relevance for the church in [the USA], such as the exercise of the rights to religious freedom, life and conscientious objection as well as the issue of immigration reform.”
According to the latest White House statement, “The President looks forward to continuing this conversation with the Holy Father during his first visit to the United States as Pope.”
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