President Obama, Pope Francis Have Cordial Meeting Despite Sharp Divisions (911 hits)
Sharp differences over abortion and birth control surfaced as President Barack Obama held his first meeting Thursday with Pope Francis, even as the president sought to emphasize common ground issues like economic inequality during a much-anticipated Vatican visit.
After Obama's hour-long audience with the pope, the Vatican said discussions centered on questions of "particular relevance for the church in that country, such as the exercise of the rights to religious freedom, life and conscientious objection" — issues that have fueled divisions between Obama and Catholics in the U.S.
But the Vatican statement also said the leaders discussed immigration reform, touching on an issue where Obama has largely enjoyed the support of America's many Hispanic Catholics.
Obama is the ninth president to make an official visit to the Vatican. His audience marks a change of pace for the president, who has devoted the past three days of a weeklong, four-country trip to securing European unity against Russia's aggressive posture toward Ukraine.
To be sure, the relationship between the Obama administration and the Catholic Church is a fraught one. Just this week, the Supreme Court seemed divided when hearing arguments in a case in which companies argued that they have religious rights and can object to such coverage based on such beliefs.
Anticipating that the issue would be a topic of their meeting, Catholics for Choice published an ad Thursday in the International New York Times declaring that "Francis' interpretation of church teachings does not represent that of the majority of Catholics, especially on issues related to s*xuality, reproductive health and family life."
Francis faithfully backs church teaching on abortion — he has said he's a "son of the church" — but his emphasis and tone are elsewhere. He has said he wants his church to be more of a welcoming place for wounded souls rather than a moralizing church.
Though Francis and the president share the same view on fixing immigration laws in the United States, the church has given special attention to reuniting families. Hispanic groups have been increasingly critical of Obama's deportation policies, which they say have driven families apart and punished otherwise law-abiding residents who have either crossed into the U.S. illegally or overstayed their visas.
