USA before change of government
Biden honors Pope with special distinction
Joe Biden actually wanted to travel to Italy to see the Pope shortly before his departure as US President. Nothing came of it. Instead, he now honors the pontiff from a distance.
Shortly before his departure from office, US President Joe Biden honored Pope Francis in a special way. The head of the Catholic Church will receive the “Medal of Freedom with Distinction,” the White House announced in Washington. Biden spoke to the Pope on the phone on Saturday and informed him about it.
Biden originally wanted to be in Italy in person this weekend. An audience with the Pope was planned for Friday. However, the US President canceled the trip at short notice due to the devastating fires in California.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the USA. This honors people who have made a significant contribution “to the security or national interest of the United States, world peace, and cultural or other significant public concerns.” Biden had already given out several of these awards during his term in office. However, the White House emphasized that it would be the only time that Biden would honor someone with the “Medal of Freedom with Distinction.”
The reason given was that Francis “never gave up his mission to serve the poor” after having served the voiceless and weak in Argentina for decades. He is “the pope of the people.”
Biden is a devout Catholic and only the second Catholic president in US history after John F. Kennedy (1961 to 1963). The Democrat goes to church every weekend. Biden leaves office on January 20th and then hands over to Republican Donald Trump.
In his previous years in office, Biden met the Pope several times. Francis is the head of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide and also the head of state of the Vatican.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
