Pope Meets Obama.pdf

On March 27, 2014, Pope Francis received US President Barack Obama at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. The meeting began with a handshake and brief pleasantries before moving to a private discussion lasting fifty-two minutes. During this time, they were assisted by interpreters from the Vatican's Secretariat of State and the US State Department.

Afterward, members of the White House delegation, including Secretary of State John Kerry and National Security Adviser Susan Rice, were introduced to Pope Francis. The President presented a seed box made from wood recovered from the Basilica of the National Shrine in Baltimore, containing seeds from the White House garden as a symbol of global peace.

Pope Francis gifted Obama two bronze medals—one by Italian artist Guido Veroi and another cast from a medal buried beneath St. Peter's Basilica—and his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. The President expressed appreciation for these gifts and mentioned reading the exhortation during challenging times in office.

The meeting concluded with Obama thanking Pope Francis in Spanish and requesting prayers for himself and his family.