U.S. President Joe Biden has awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction, the highest civilian honor in the United States.
The announcement came on Saturday from the White House after Biden was forced to cancel his planned trip to Rome in order to remain in the U.S. and manage the ongoing wildfire crisis in California.
“The first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, Pope Francis is unlike any who came before,” the White House wrote in a statement. “Above all, he is the People’s Pope — a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world.”
The White House also revealed that Biden spoke with Pope Francis on Saturday morning to personally inform him of the award. During the conversation, the two leaders discussed efforts to advance global peace, with a particular focus on the Pope’s work to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable communities.
“Pope Francis, your humility and your grace are beyond words, and your love for all is unparalleled,” Biden wrote in a tweet on X.
The last meeting between Biden and Pope Francis took place in June during the G7 summit in Apulia, Italy, where they discussed the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. At that time, the Vatican highlighted the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and a deal to release hostages in Gaza, with Biden thanking the Pope for his humanitarian efforts, especially in helping to return kidnapped Ukrainian children to their families.
The last time a U.S. president awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction was in January 2017, when outgoing President Barack Obama presented it to Joe Biden, then his vice president.
