President Obama emerged smiling—and unscathed—from his Vatican visit Thursday. Pope Francis steered clear of areas where the two men are not simpatico, notably abortion and U.S. militarism. Likewise, the pope was gracious enough not to ask whether his guest’s 2012 conversion on gay marriage was prompted by election-year expedience.
Instead, the pontiff who has taken the world by storm gave Obama a copy of “The Joy of the Gospel,” which Francis released in November signaling his commitment to evangelism and an increased focus on the poor. Gift-giving between popes and presidents is a time-honored tradition, and it brought to mind George W. Bush’s 2004 visit to Rome.
Read Full Article »