Pope Benedict XVI Meets President Obama in Vatican for the First Time

(July 11, 2009) On Friday afternoon, 10 July 2009, Pope Benedict XVI received in Audience the President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack H. Obama. Despite the heavy security hundreds of people waited in the Sun to greet Obama on his first arrival as President to Vatican and he waved them back. The Pope received the president, who was in Italy for the Group of Eight summit that ended on Friday in L'Aquila, for about a half hour in a private, closed-door meeting. Abortion, conscience protection and bioethics took centre stage as Benedict XVI and U.S. President Barack Obama met for the first time on Friday. Obama personally introduced his entire staff to the Pope. Prior to the Audience, the President met Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State, and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States. In a communiqué issued shortly after the meeting concluded, the Vatican reported that the "conversation turned first of all to questions which are in the interests of all and which constitute a great challenge for the future of every nation and for the true progress of peoples, such as the defence and promotion of life and the right to abide by one's conscience." "Reference was also made to immigration with particular attention to the matter of reuniting families," the note added. "The meeting focused as well upon matters of international politics, especially in light of the outcome of the G-8 Summit.” The conversation also dealt with the peace process in the Middle East, and with other regional situations. Certain current issues were then considered, such as dialogue between cultures and religions, the global economic crisis and its ethical implications, food security, development aid especially for Africa and Latin America, the problem of drug trafficking and the education of young every where. Pope Benedict gave to the U.S. president a copy of his recently published encyclical, "Caritas in Veritate," and a copy of "Dignitas Personae" (The Dignity of a Person), which deals with questions of bioethics. President Obama gave to Pope a stole that had been placed on the remains of St. John Neumann a Redemptorist who is currently the only canonized bishop of the United States. After the private meeting, the Holy Father greeted Obama's wife, Michelle, and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha. They had arrived to the Vatican an hour before the president to visit St. Peter's Basilica and after the audience with the Pope, the family visited the Vatican Grottoes and the Sistine Chapel.