Gladness Gideon
Former U.S. President Joe Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden will travel to the Vatican this Saturday to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, in what his office described as a deeply personal farewell rooted in a long-standing spiritual connection.
The Bidens will make the journey independently, separate from President Donald Trump, who is also slated to attend the funeral. This symbolic gesture underscores Biden’s intimate rapport with the late pontiff, whom he often credited as a moral compass during his presidency.
According to Vatican officials, more than 50 world leaders and 10 reigning monarchs have confirmed their presence at what is expected to be one of the most significant global gatherings of the decade.
A devout Catholic and only the second Catholic U.S. president in history, Biden shared several private and official meetings with Pope Francis during his time in office. He famously kept a framed photo of the pontiff in the Oval Office and often spoke of the pope’s compassion and emphasis on social justice as guiding lights in his own leadership.
READ ALSO: ‘A Pope for the People’: Tens of Thousands Flock to Pay Final Respects as Vatican Mourns Francis
Biden had intended to return to the Vatican in January, near the end of his term, to personally award Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest civilian honor in the United States. However, those plans were derailed by the outbreak of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, forcing him to remain on domestic soil.
The upcoming funeral echoes scenes from 2005, when then-President George W. Bush led a U.S. delegation to Pope John Paul II’s funeral, joined by former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush—a moment of rare bipartisan unity.
For Biden, Saturday’s farewell will be more than a diplomatic obligation; it will mark the loss of a spiritual confidant and a man he viewed not just as a religious figurehead, but as a global beacon of moral clarity.