This marks the only time in his presidency Biden bestowed that award “with distinction.” Then-President George W. Bush awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction to St. John Paul II in 2004.
From OSV News:
President Joe Biden awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, the nation’s highest civilian honor, the White House said Jan. 11.
Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, spoke with the pontiff to name him a recipient of the award, the White House said. It marked the only time in his presidency Biden bestowed that award “with distinction,” the announcement added.
On Jan. 8 Biden canceled a trip to Italy that had been scheduled for Jan. 9-12. It would have included an audience with Pope Francis and would have been his final foreign trip as president. The cancellation came in the wake of the devastating wildfires raging in California.
Pope Francis’ mission of serving the poor “has never ceased,” the White House said in its statement about the award.
“A loving pastor, he joyfully answers children’s questions about God. A challenging teacher, he commands us to fight for peace and protect the planet. A welcoming leader, he reaches out to different faiths,” the statement said. “The first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, Pope Francis is unlike any who came before. Above all, he is the People’s Pope — a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world.”
The Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction has rarely been bestowed in recent decades. But Biden himself is one such recipient. Then-President Barack Obama awarded Biden, who was then vice president, with such a medal in 2017. Another pontiff has also received the award. Then-President George W. Bush awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction to St. John Paul II in 2004.
