US President Joe Biden on Friday said Pope Francis had told him he should continue to receive Communion, after conservative US bishops suggested he should be denied Mass over his support of same-sex marriage and abortion rights.
Speaking after a lengthy audience with the Pope, Mr Biden said abortion, which has become a defining issue within America's rancorously divided political landscape, did not come up in the Vatican meeting.
“We just talked about the fact he was happy that I was a good Catholic and I should keep receiving Communion,” the president said.
The world’s two most prominent Roman Catholics held personal discussions on climate change, poverty and the coronavirus pandemic that also touched on the loss of president’s adult son and jokes about aging well, the White House said.
Video released by the Vatican showed several warm, relaxed moments between Francis and Mr Biden as they repeatedly shook hands and smiled.
Francis often sports a dour look, especially in official photos, but he seemed in good spirits on Friday. The private meeting lasted about 75 minutes, according to the Vatican, more than double the normal length of an audience with the pontiff.
Mr Biden is in Rome ahead of the G20 summit this weekend before he travels on to the Cop26 in Glasgow.
After leaving the Vatican, Mr Biden said he had a “wonderful” visit and that the pope prayed for him and blessed his rosary beads. Asked what the prayer was about, he replied, “Peace.”
Mr Biden then met separately with Group of 20 summit hosts Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
He also met with French President Emmanuel Macron, part of an effort to mend relations with Paris after the US and UK decided to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, scotching an existing French contract.
Mr Biden said the handling of the issue was "clumsy" and he was under the impression that France had already been informed that their deal with Australia was not going through.
Mr Biden's warm visit to the Vatican stood in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s 2017 meeting with Francis, with whom the former president had a prickly relationship.
Photos from that 30-minute meeting showed a stone-faced Francis standing beside a grinning Trump. Biden’s meeting also was longer than the 52 minutes Barack Obama spent with Francis in 2014.
Mr Biden and the Pope have met three times previously, but this was their first since Mr Biden was elected president.
Mr Biden, who after John F Kennedy is only the second Catholic president, attends mass regularly and is open about his faith and how it has helped him through a series of family bereavements. He keeps a picture of the Pope behind his desk in the Oval Office.
While Mr Biden has said that his faith serves as a moral guidepost to shape many of his social and economic policies, his support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage has put him at odds with many US bishops.
The Bidens arrived at the Vatican in an unusually long motorcade of more than 80 vehicles, owing in part to Italian Covid-19 restrictions on the number of people allowed to share a car.
Mr Biden was received by Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, who runs the papal household, and then, one by one, he greeted the papal ushers, or the papal gentlemen, who lined up in the courtyard.
“It’s good to be back,” Mr Biden said as he shook the hand of one of them.
Mr Biden’s meeting with Pope Francis generated some controversy in advance as the Vatican on Thursday abruptly cancelled plans to broadcast the meeting with him live and denied press access. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the revised television plan reflected the virus protocol for all audiences with heads of state.
Viewers were permitted to see only the arrival of the presidential motorcade in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace.
Before the meeting, Pope Francis called on political leaders heading to Cop26 to urgently tackle the climate crisis to give “concrete hope to future generations”.
He said “radical decisions” are needed as the world faces a “succession of crises” in health care, the environment, food supplies and the economy.
In a special Thought for the Day message for BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Pope Francis warned against countries taking an isolationist approach, and called for a “renewed sense of shared responsibility for our world”.
World leaders preparing to head to Glasgow for the climate summit are under pressure to increase their ambition to tackle the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa
Fixtures (6pm UAE unless stated)
Saturday Bournemouth v Leicester City, Chelsea v Manchester City (8.30pm), Huddersfield v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm), Manchester United v Crystal Palace, Stoke City v Southampton, West Bromwich Albion v Watford, West Ham United v Swansea City
Sunday Arsenal v Brighton (3pm), Everton v Burnley (5.15pm), Newcastle United v Liverpool (6.30pm)
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
More on animal trafficking
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
