Obama and Pope Have Cordial Meeting

By: Thomas Reese

July 10, 2009

President Obama and Pope Benedict had a cordial and serene meeting, according to the pope's spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, who was briefed by the pope after the meeting. The meeting went for about 40 minutes, twice as long as scheduled.

Obama told the pope that the just-completed G-8 meeting in the Italian city of L'Aquila was "very productive" and resulted in "great progress."

The Vatican press release after the meeting said that they also discussed "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 defense and promotion of life and the right to abide by one's conscience."

They also discussed immigration "with particular attention to the matter of reuniting families."

The press release indicated that the pope and Obama were in "general agreement" on the peace process in the Middle East. Other issues discussed included "dialogue between cultures and religions, the global economic crisis and its ethical implications, food security, development aid especially for Africa and Latin America, and the problem of drug trafficking. Finally, the importance of educating young people everywhere in the value of tolerance was highlighted."

Father Lombardi reported that the pope was "very impressed" by Obama and "seemed extremely satisfied with how the meeting went." He said that the pope found Obama to be "attentive and ready to listen."

Denis McDonough, one of Obama's deputy national security advisors, agreed. "They discussed a range of those issues and I think the president was eager to listen to the Holy Father," he told reporters on Air Force One. "He is eager to find common ground on these issues and to work aggressively to do that."

Obama, who is on his way to Ghana in Africa, was given two documents by the pope. "I will have some reading to do on the plane," said the president.

The first document was a leather-bound autographed copy of his new encyclical on Catholic social teaching, Caritas in veritate (Charity in truth). In the encyclical Benedict said the economy must be guided by ethics and the common good, not just greed and profit. He called for greater regulation of the economy and told industrialized countries to reduce their energy consumption and to remember poor who are suffering from the economic crisis.

The pope also gave Obama a copy of a Vatican bioethics document, Dignitas Personae (The Dignity of a Person), so that the president might better understand the church's teaching on bioethics. Lombardi reported that "The president explicitly expressed his commitment to reducing the numbers of abortions and to listen to the church's concerns on moral issues."

As he was saying goodbye to the pope, Obama said he looked forward to building a strong relationship between the Vatican and the United States.

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