US President Joe Biden paid tribute to Pope Benedict XVI, who died at the age of 95. He praised the pontiff as a theologian.
In a statement released by the White House, Biden said that Benedict would be remembered as a theologian who had devoted his life to the Church.
Biden, who was a Catholic, said that he and his wife, Jill, were informed about the death of the pope.
Biden noted that he had met with Benedict in 2011. He said that the pontiff was a generous and welcoming individual.
In 2021, Benedict was asked about the contradiction between Biden's Catholic faith and his stance on abortion. The pontiff stated that although he considered Biden to be an observant Catholic, he was still concerned about his views on abortion.
According to the Crux, the pontiff stated that Biden was an observant Catholic and was against abortion. However, as the president, he kept up with the Democratic Party line. He also didn't have a clear stance on gender policy.
The meeting between Biden and the pontiff in 2011 was regarded as a surprise. The Vatican did not take note of it, as it was not on the schedule of either the pope or the vice president at that time. In 2009, the Papacy announced that the pope had given a lecture to Nancy Pelosi, who was an abortion-supporter. Biden did not receive the lecture.
According to the Vatican press office, the body of Benedict will be displayed in a state funeral starting Monday. His funeral will be held at St. Peter’s Basilica. It's not clear who will attend the funeral.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Washington Examiner.
