Vatican City, Jun 3, 2021 / 10:30 am
According to sources from the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, the first meeting between Pope Francis and President Joe Biden might take place on June 15.
President Biden might travel to Rome for a meeting with Pope Francis before immediately flying to Geneva for his scheduled summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 16, according to the source. Although the meeting has not been confirmed, another source from the Vatican Secretary of State said that the meeting “is likely to occur.”
President Biden is currently scheduled to be in Europe for the NATO summit, which will take place in Brussels on June 14. According to a June 3 White House statement, he is scheduled to participate in the U.S.-EU summit on June 15, and will meet with leaders of Belgium.
Several days after Biden’s election to the presidency, Biden and Pope Francis had a phone conversation. The circumstances of the call were unique, as popes generally do not communicate directly with the president-elect but rather send official greetings once new presidents are installed.