This archive report was first published on 29 October 2021.
US President Joe Biden has kicked off his European trip with a meeting at the Vatican, where he met Pope Francis on October 29, 2021. The meeting marked the start of a trip aimed at reasserting US international credentials.
Biden's visit to the Vatican came ahead of the G20 summit in Rome, where world leaders are gathering to discuss pressing global issues. The US President unveiled an 'historic' blueprint for remaking America's economy, but its fate remains uncertain.
After weeks of internal party feuding, Biden had hoped to arrive at the twin summits in Europe with the deal in hand. However, the 78-year-old President faces an uphill task in persuading lawmakers to back his economic plan.
Biden's meeting with Pope Francis was a significant moment in his trip, as the two leaders share a range of concerns, from poverty to climate change and the coronavirus pandemic. The meeting was expected to be 'warm', with the White House saying that Biden and the Pope would discuss their shared concerns.
However, the question remains whether either leader raises the sensitive issue of abortion. Biden supports the right to choose, while Pope Francis has slammed terminating pregnancies as 'murder'. The pontiff has distanced himself from a push by conservative US bishops to deny communion to politicians supportive of abortion rights.
After meeting with Pope Francis, Biden will cross the Tiber into the heart of Rome to meet Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. The G20 host is being closely watched in Washington for his plans to set debt-laden and politically fractious Italy back on track.
