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.
If confirmed, the visit – technically speaking, a papal audience with Biden – will occur while Biden has yet to appoint a new ambassador to the Holy See.
President Biden is scheduled to travel to Europe in June to participate in several international summits in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Switzerland.
He will meet with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on June 10 before attending the G7 summit and meeting leaders of major industrialized nations. He and his wife are scheduled to meet with Queen Elizabeth II on June 13.
On June 14, Biden is scheduled to participate in the NATO summit in Brussels, and meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Later in the week, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will gather virtually for their spring plenary session from June 16-18; at the meeting, the bishops are expected to deliberate and vote on the process of drafting a document regarding Eucharistic coherence.
A proposed outline for the document includes a section on “Eucharistic consistency,” described as, “The nature of eucharistic communion and the problem of serious sin.”
The topic of Communion for Catholic politicians who support permissive laws on evils such as abortion and euthanasia has grown more salient since Biden’s election to the presidency; he is only the second Catholic U.S. president, and supports taxpayer-funded abortion.
Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago and other bishops recently sought to delay the discussion on Eucharistic coherence, but the president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, has said the discussion will proceed as planned.
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If they meet there will be no excommunication.
We draw conclusions from consistency. Consistency here a marked affinity between the most radically pro abortion, pro LGBT president, a rosary clutching moon eyed supposed Catholic, and a Pontiff who putatively is opposed to his agenda. Or is he? Not once did Pope Francis laud anything former president Trump accomplished in protecting religious rights, curtailing abortion, limitations on LGBT ‘rights’, more obtrusions than rights. Only sharp criticism of his border security policy, the wall, accusations by the Pontiff at least by implication of divisiveness, racial prejudice. Whereas Biden appears shiningly Catholic to Francis – if we gauge that by his lack of any criticism whatsoever of the president. Andrea Gagliarducci interjects, “Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago and other bishops recently sought to delay the discussion on Eucharistic coherence” likely for purpose of indicating a consistency, perhaps rapport between ‘two peas in a pod’, both in favor of delay, certainly the warning against criticism of the president, and the quintessential chicanery of insisting that primacy on any discussion remains with Ratzinger’s 2002 note on the canonical prudential judgment of the local ordinary. As if in the oddly formed consciences of Cardinals Ladaria, Cupich, and by implication Pope Francis, that whatever may be the case a local ordinary has a canonical privilege to declare an intrinsic evil a political virtue. Gagliarducci underscores USCCB president Archbishop Jose Gomez’ insistence the discussions will proceed.
Perhaps Biden appears “shiningly Catholic” to the Pope, but not to us.
And even in his jejune posturing, Biden believes a rosary is primarily a weapon for violently choking human beings. He is missing more than a few neurons; he seems to be without conscience. And he accuses Putin of having no soul.
I fear this might be another
-can’t wait to shake your hand, buddy,
-see my big grin for you,
-verbally, let’s pat each other
-and ourselves on the back
-as you were, carry on ol boy accompaniment.
Rosemarie, suffice it to say Judas would be envious.
I wonder if they are going practice “social distancing” by kissing each other’s rings from exactly 3 feet away? I have pretty much given up on both those who supposedly run our government and the Church hierarchy. But who cares, my parish is still the faithful and our community is vibrant despite this whole pandemic panic attack. Praise the Lord.
600,000 is no “panic attack.”
We are required to treat others with Mercy, if we want the Divine Mercy for ourselves.
“For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have Mercy on us and all the whole world.”
The obvious purpose of this visit and, especially its timing, is to thwart a segment of the American bishops who seem unusually committed to a certain course for their June meeting. It would be so awkward for them to take any action or even make a strong statement against Biden just days after he has what, no doubt, will be a very convivial audience with Papa Bergoglio (if there were any chance that it wouldn’t be, the White House would never allow it to happen). If this isn’t enough to deter these bishops, Francis and Parolin will simply order them to shut up. They should make them do it.
For Pope Francis, that he will evangelize the Biden sect with the papal prayer intention for June: “The Beauty of Marriage—Let us pray for young people who are preparing for marriage with the support of a Christian community: may they grow in love, with generosity, faithfulness and patience;”
For President Biden, that he will seize the moment and choreograph the meeting to take place on the steps of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral where he, like Theodosius kneeling before St. Ambrose, can either defend or appeal for mercy for the deaths of 66 million from A.D.1973 to 2021 (rather than Theodosius’ mere 7,000 in A.D. 390); and
For the Catholic flock, that a photo-op can be allowed to the emerging real leadership in the USCCB, rather than, say, the likes of wonderboy and pseudo-priest James Martin and his cardinalate retinue;
Let us pray to the Lord…Lord hear our prayer.
No one ought to be shocked that close allies should want to confer in person to further their common political agenda. It should be plain to everyone by now that almost all of what has been said about this Pope by his most severe opponents is basically true. But, I am sure there will be more tortured attempts to explain it all away. Time to cue up another piece “proving” how committed Francis is the pro-life cause.
“…close allies…want to confer in person…” Taking into account that this meeting might happen IS a major “take notice” event. When the pawns have finally had enough–full to the eyeballs with the goings-on and the upper crust feels the shaking below——well, it’s time to bring out the big guns.
Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”” Mark 2:17. We can hope that Francis will help Chairman Joe to meet the demands of the “devout” Catholicism he professes.
And what do you think the chances are that Francis will seriously confront Biden on anything? After over eight years of this pontificate, isn’t it rather easy to predict what will and won’t happen?
The so-called ‘catholics’ who see no problem with taxpayer-financed abortions, or ‘catholic’ politicians who support it – and the like – are becoming increasingly desperate because they know that the tide against it is rising.
Both Francis and joe all ready have something on common besides their hatred of trump !! They are both in China’s payroll !