Biden is set to meet with Pope Francis during the final days of his presidency.

 Biden is scheduled to meet with Pope Francis during the final days of his presidency.

President Joe Biden greets Pope Francis at the G7 summit at Borgo Egnazia, Italy, on June 14. 

Dec. 20, 2024, 6:29 AM GMT+6

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will meet with Pope Francis in January, marking what is likely his final international trip before leaving office, the White House announced on Thursday.

Biden accepted an invitation from the pope to visit the Vatican during a phone call on Thursday, according to a statement from the White House. The two leaders have met multiple times in the past.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that Biden's visit to Rome will take place from January 9 to 12, during which he will also meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

During the phone call, Biden and Pope Francis discussed global efforts to promote peace, the White House said. "The President thanked the pope for his continued advocacy in alleviating global suffering, including his efforts to advance human rights and protect religious freedoms," the statement added.

Before the official announcement, reporters asked Biden as he departed Marine One if he planned to visit the pope in January, a trip first reported by the Associated Press. "Yes, I will see the pope," Biden replied. Biden, the second Roman Catholic president in U.S. history, most recently met privately with Pope Francis during a June visit to Italy for the G7 summit. During that meeting, the leaders discussed the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.

"The leaders emphasized the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and a hostage deal to bring hostages home and address the critical humanitarian crisis in Gaza," the White House said in June.

Biden was present at the beginning of Pope Francis' papacy in 2013, when he led the U.S. delegation for the pope's inauguration as vice president.

Pope Francis, now 88, became the head of the Catholic Church in March 2013 after Pope Benedict XVI's resignation.

Biden's trip to Italy will occur later than those of his recent predecessors' final international visits. President-elect Donald Trump's last trip abroad during his first term was to India in February 2020, just before COVID-19 restrictions curtailed travel. Former President Barack Obama's final international trip was to Peru in November 2016, while George W. Bush's last overseas trip was to Afghanistan in December 2008.