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Sunday, March 9, 2014

Since World War I, have all U.S. Presidents met the Pope at the Vatican?

THIS WEEK host Martha Raddatz (ABC News dot-com) asked who was the first President to meet a Pope at Vatican City. The full answer tells a lot about Religion and the Presidency; these paragraphs come from website titled "Catholic News" The Obama visit (July 10, 2009) was considered private, but with a bit of flair. He was met in the St. Damasus Courtyard by U.S. Archbishop James Harvey, prefect of the papal household, and a small contingent of Swiss Guards. In a reversal of the usual order of things, the president met with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, before going to meet the pope. After a private discussion with Pope Benedict, Obama introduced his wife, Michelle, and daughters, Sasha and Malia, to the pope. A group photo was taken, then the pope and president exchanged gifts, and the first family left for the airport. Obama continued a tradition that is only 90 years old. The first U.S. president to visit the Vatican was Woodrow Wilson, who met with Pope Benedict XV in 1919 while on a European tour after World War I. The next presidential visit was a full 40 years later; Dwight D. Eisenhower met Pope John XXIII in 1959. Since then, each U.S. president has made a trip to the Vatican. Meeting Pope Paul VI were John F. Kennedy in 1963; Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967; Richard M. Nixon in 1969 and 1970; and Gerald R. Ford in 1975. Jimmy Carter was the next to visit, meeting Pope John Paul in 1980. Ronald Reagan met him in 1982 and 1987, as well as after leaving office. George H.W. Bush met him in 1989 and 1991. Bill Clinton came to the Vatican in 1994. George W. Bush met Pope John Paul in 2001 at the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo and at the Vatican in 2002 and 2004. In addition to attending Pope John Paul's funeral in 2005, he visited the Vatican in 2007 and again in 2008 to meet with Pope Benedict. -- http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0903142.htm

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