The White House announced Thursday morning that President Trump will meet with Pope Francis during Trump's first trip abroad next month.
His meeting is expected to take place in Rome on May 24, following presidential trips to Saudi Arabia and Israel, and before the G-7 summit in Sicily.
The papal audience has been widely discussed at White House press briefings since it was first raised by Newsmax in March. Trump and the Pope have had public disagreements over the president's stand on illegal immigration and the proposed wall between the United States and Mexico. But at a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni Silveri last month, the president said he look forward "very much" to meeting with Pope Francis.
In meeting with Pope Francis, Trump continues a tradition that began when President Eisenhower called on Pope John XXIII at the Vatican in 1959.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.