Meeting with Pope Francis leaves a strong impression on Biden: He 'is everything I learned about Catholicism'
CNN
A visibly moved President Joe Biden on Sunday took the opportunity to reflect on his close relationship with Pope Francis, praising the Catholic leader as "someone who's provided a great solace for my family when my son died."
"This is a man who has a great empathy. He is a man who understands that part of his Christianity is to reach out and to forgive," Biden told reporters. "And so, I just find my relationship with him one that I personally take great solace in. He is a really, truly genuine decent man."
The President and Pope held 90 minutes of talks Friday in a session that blended the official and personal sides of the most devout US leader in decades. Afterward, Biden said Francis had told him he was pleased he was a "good Catholic," and that he should continue receiving communion, despite opposition from some conservative American bishops over his support for abortion. The meeting stretched twice as long as the one Biden held with Pope John Paul II as a young senator. While the White House said afterward that topics like climate change and Covid-19 arose, Biden told reporters he discussed "a lot of personal things" with the pontiff.