Pontiffs And Presidents: White House-vatican Relationship Stretches A Century, Including Fighting Communism

The Vatican and White House person for decades kept a adjacent relationship, pinch various popes and presidents gathering successful nan nation’s superior and successful Vatican City crossed nan years. 

Pope Francis died connected Easter Monday astatine nan property of 88, pursuing years of wellness issues, including chronic lung disease. Francis was nan caput of nan Roman Catholic Church from 2013 until his death, and had met pinch 3 U.S. presidents crossed his tenure. 

Francis’ past high-profile gathering pinch a U.S. leader was held conscionable hours earlier his death, erstwhile Vice President JD Vance traveled to Italy for nan Easter vacation and met pinch nan pope connected nan astir beatified time for Christians. 

"I cognize you’ve not been emotion great, but it’s bully spot you successful amended health," Vance told nan pontiff Sunday. 

FAITH LEADERS REFLECT ON POPE FRANCIS' DEATH, PAPACY AND LASTING LEGACY: 'MADE HIS MARK'

A personification holds a image of precocious Pope Francis astatine nan Basílica de San José de Flores, wherever he worshipped arsenic a youth, pursuing nan Vatican's announcement of his death, successful Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (Gustavo Garello/AP)

"I believe for you each day," Vance said. "God bless you."

Following Francis’ death, Fox News Digital took a look backmost connected high-profile meetings and friendships nan Vatican and White House person forged crossed nan years. 

Reagan and Pope John Paul II look to thwart communism 

Amid nan Cold War successful 1982 – conscionable years earlier nan Berlin Wall fell successful 1989 and nan dissolution of nan Soviet Union successful 1991 – President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II met astatine nan Vatican.

PHOTO GALLERY: POPE FRANCIS THROUGH THE YEARS

Pope John Paul II greets President Ronald Reagan and first woman Nancy Reagan, connected their sojourn to nan Vatican. (Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

The gathering marked nan first clip a president and pope met unsocial down closed doors, a 1982 article detailing nan visit reported, and came astir a twelvemonth aft some had survived assassination attempts conscionable weeks isolated successful 1981. The gathering marked nan opening of nan pair's adjacent relationship arsenic they worked to conclusion nan increasing threat of communism connected nan world stage. 

Two years later, nan brace met again successful Fairbanks, Alaska, wherever they delivered messages of bid successful a world connected nan separator arsenic tensions between the communist Eastern Bloc and nan capitalist Western Bloc flared. 

"In a convulsive world, Your Holiness, you person been a curate of bid and love. Your words, your prayers, your illustration person made you – for those who suffer oppression aliases nan unit of warfare – a root of solace, inspiration, and hope," Reagan said. "For this historical ministry nan American group are grateful to you, and we wish you each encouragement successful your journeys for bid and knowing successful nan world."

The 2 world leaders’ relationship was rooted successful their disgust of communism, socialism and atheism that had gripped nan Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The pope and nan Reagan management worked intimately to beforehand nan Solidarity labour activity successful Poland, John Paul II’s location country, which encouraged citizens to cull communism successful nan outer authorities of nan USSR, nan Associated Press antecedently reported. 

President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II meet, on pinch U.S. and Vatican officials, astatine Fairbanks International Airport connected May 2, 1984, successful Alaska. (David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)

The Vatican has denied a general confederation pinch nan U.S. during nan promotion of nan Solidarity labour movement, but has said successful much caller years that Pope John Paul II and Reagan shared a communal extremity of fighting totalitarianism, nan Associated Press reported successful 2004. 

REAGAN, JOHN PAUL II UNITED IN PURPOSE

In 1989, Poland became nan first state successful nan Eastern bloc to clasp semi-free elections, which resulted successful a resounding triumph for nan Solidarity activity and led to nan dissolution of nan communist authorities successful Poland. The triumph had a domino effect connected different nations arsenic 1989 became known arsenic nan twelvemonth communism fell, including nan demolition of nan Berlin Wall later that twelvemonth and nan eventual extremity to nan Soviet Union successful 1991. 

President Ronald Reagan sits pinch Pope John Paul II successful Vizcaya Mansion. (Diana Walker/Getty Images)

"Pope John Paul II and President Reagan worked together to bring an extremity to atheistic Soviet communism," erstwhile Republican Gov. Scott Walker wrote successful a 2020 Washington Times op-ed of Reagan and Pope John Paul II. "The 2 had a divine scheme to extremity nan Soviet empire that was engaged successful a warfare connected belief and individual liberties. The activity of a pope and a president helped bring astir nan illness of communism and yielded much state and opportunity for group each complete nan world."

Woodrow Wilson, nan 28th president, and Pope Benedict XV met successful 1919. (Getty Images)

Wilson becomes first president to meet pinch pope

Democrat Woodrow Wilson successful 1919 became nan first U.S. president to meet pinch a pontiff, opening nan doors to normalizing an unfastened statement of connection betwixt Washington and Vatican City. 

Wilson was walking successful Europe pursuing nan extremity of World War I and "called upon his Holiness Pope Benedict XV," according to an article published in America, a Catholic magazine, that year. 

VANCE WAS ONE OF POPE FRANCIS' LAST VISITORS

"The President's presence was announced by nan Master of nan Chamber to nan Pope, who awaited Mr. Wilson successful nan Throne Room," nan mag reported astatine nan time. "The President was admitted instantly to nan beingness of nan Holy Father, who welcomed him astir cordially. They spent astir a half hr together. It is not, of course, officially known what were nan subjects which they discussed." 

The meeting, which came astatine a clip of ongoing anti-Catholic sentiment stemming from nan influx of Catholic immigrants astatine nan move of nan century, group nan modular for presidents forging relationships pinch nan Vatican – though specified meetings did not go normalized until decades later. 

Dwight D. Eisenhower astatine an assemblage pinch Pope John XXIII, together pinch an charismatic and his daughter-in-law Barbara Eisenhower Thompson, Vatican City, December 1959. (Mondadori via Getty Images)

Eisenhower meets pinch Pope John XXIII

Presidents gathering pinch nan pope did not go communal until 1959, erstwhile President Dwight Eisenhower visited Pope John XXIII while connected a circuit of various countries, including Italy, Office of nan Historian documents show. 

The 2nd gathering betwixt a pope and president group a caller tradition. 

Every president since Eisenhower has met pinch nan existent pope, totaling 32 meetings some successful nan U.S. and successful Vatican City since 1959, Fox Digital found. 

Pope John Paul II is welcomed to nan White House by President Jimmy Carter. (Michael Norcia/Sygma via Getty Images)

First papal sojourn to nan White House 

It wasn't until 1979, during President Jimmy Carter's administration, that nan pontiff traveled to Washington and joined nan president for a gathering astatine nan White House. 

Pope John Paul II was invited to nan White House amid his first papal visit to nan United States successful 1979, erstwhile he was well-received by U.S. Catholics and nicknamed "John Paul, Superstar" by Time mag owed to nan lage crowds he drew amid his visits to Boston, New York and Denver. 

POPE FRANCIS' VIEWS ON BUSINESS, THE ECONOMY THROUGH THE YEARS

"Sharing nan belief that respect for quality authorities and nan dignity of nan individual must beryllium nan cornerstone of nan home and world policies of nations, nan Pope and nan President underlined their support for world covenants connected quality authorities and for world organizations and entities which service nan origin of quality rights," nan Carter management said successful a connection astatine nan clip of nan visit. "They agreed that nan world organization must mobilize its interest and resources to woody pinch nan problems of refugees, to protect quality rights, and to forestall hunger and famine."

A pope visiting nan White House has been rarer than a president visiting nan Vatican. Pope Benedict visited nan White House successful 2008 erstwhile he celebrated his 81st day pinch President George W. Bush, and Francis traveled to nan White House successful 2015 and met pinch President Barack Obama. Other popes person not met a president astatine nan White House. 

Pope Francis meets President Donald Trump and first woman Melania Trump astatine nan Apostolic Palace connected May 24, 2017, successful Vatican City. (Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

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President Donald Trump, who had fought pinch Pope Francis connected biology and governmental policies, is slated to recreation to Vatican City later this week to be nan pope's ceremonial Mass. 

"Melania and I will beryllium going to nan ceremonial of Pope Francis, successful Rome. We look guardant to being there!" nan president posted Monday to Truth Social.