Pope Francis will meet President Donald Trump, the Holy See has confirmed.
The papal audience will take at 8.30am on the 24th May in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace during the president’s first foreign visit. Following their meeting Trump will see Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See’s secretary for relations with states.
President Trump’s meeting the Pope takes place during his first foreign visit which will see him attend the G7 gathering of world leaders in Taormina, Sicily, on 26-27 May.
The Tablet first reported that a Trump papal audience was expected around the G7 and that it had become customary for US presidents to meet Popes when in Italy for these global summits.
There had, however, been reports that President Trump would not meet Francis when in Italy. While the White House has left it until the last minute to ask for an audience, with the Pope last Saturday saying he had not been informed of any formal request.
It is also understood that senior Catholic Republican figures lobbied the President’s administration to see the Pope when he travelled to Italy.
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