In a phone call with Pope Francis on January 11, 2025, US President Joe Biden announced that he was awarding the Pope the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. The White House stated in a statement that “this is the first time President Biden has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction.” The president has the exclusive right to bestow this honour. “The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honour, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours.” The Holy See hasn’t yet answered. On January 4, Biden, who will take over power to Donald Trump on January 20, received the Presidential Medal to a list of 19 eclectic personalities, ranging from Hillary Clinton to Argentine footballer Lionel Messi to designer Ralph Lauren.

A week later, he expanded this list to include Pope Francis himself. He had to postpone and ultimately cancel a meeting planned for this weekend in Rome. The American president was detained owing to former President Jimmy Carter’s state burial and the California wildfires. According to the White House, during the phone call, President Biden expressed his “deep regret” to Pope Francis for cancelling his visit, as well as his support for the Argentine Pontiff’s promotion of world peace and concern for the suffering of the most vulnerable.

The People’s Pope According to a brief biography in the White House statement, Pope Francis is not like any other successor to Peter. As Pope Francis, his mission to serve the poor has never ended. As a compassionate pastor, he gladly answers children’s inquiries about God. He is a challenging teacher who demands us to struggle for peace and the environment. He is a welcoming leader who seeks to reach out to people of many faiths. pontiff Francis, the first pontiff from the Southern Hemisphere, stands out from his predecessors. Above all, he is the People’s Pope, a beacon of faith, hope, and love that shines throughout the world.

WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter-X, Email, and Native For the first time, Biden decided to give the medal “with distinction” In a phone call with Pope Francis on January 11, 2025, US President Joe Biden announced that he was awarding the Pope the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. The White House stated in a statement that “this is the first time President Biden has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction.” The president has the exclusive right to bestow this honour. “The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honour, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours.” The Holy See hasn’t yet answered. Other Popes Francis is not the first pope to bear this title. On June 5, 2004, Pope John Paul II received this honour from US President George W. Bush. It was intended to honour him for his role in the demise of communism, but the gesture perplexed the Vatican, given the Polish pontiff’s strong opposition to the American attack in Iraq. John XXIII, for his part, received it posthumously from President Lyndon Johnson in December 1963, with the late President John F. Kennedy.