President-elect Joe Biden received a congratulatory phone call from Pope Francis on Thursday morning, making him the latest world leader to offer his thoughts on a successful presidential campaign.
Biden thanked Francis “for extending blessings and congratulations and noted his appreciation for His Holiness’ leadership in promoting peace, reconciliation, and the common bonds of humanity around the world,” according to a statement from the Biden transition team.
Biden also “expressed his desire to work together on the basis of a shared belief in the dignity and equality of all humankind on issues such as caring for the marginalized and the poor, addressing the crisis of climate change, and welcoming and integrating immigrants and refugees into our communities,” the statement said.
The international community has reached out to Biden in recent days with similar messages of hope and welcome — dignitaries including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson among them.
Biden and Francis have met at least once before, when Francis became the first pope to address a joint session of Congress in 2015. Biden, then vice president, was seated behind Francis atop the House speaker’s rostrum as the pope delivered his remarks, according to Politico.
The history-making conversation is important to note because Biden is poised to become the first Roman Catholic president of the United States since John F. Kennedy.