Pope Francis received in audience U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Saturday.
Pelosi is in Rome for a Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit in the lead up to the G20 and meetings in preparation for the COP26. The Holy Father also addressed participants in the latter meetings on Saturday.
The Vatican press office announced the Pontiff’s meeting with Pelosi, her husband, and entourage, but gave no further details.
A statement from Pelosi said it “was a spiritual, personal, and official honor” to meet the Pope, and noted his leadership on issues of care for the environment, climate change, migrants and refugees, and the poor.
“His Holiness commands our attention to honor the Gospel of Matthew by serving ‘the least of these,’ lifting up those who have been left out or left behind, especially in the time of COVID,” she said.
Francis does speak often of this Gospel passage — whatsoever you do to the least of these, you do unto me — as a reminder that we should care for any type of “little one,” especially as Christ identifies himself with them.
Pelosi also noted Francis’ link to her city, San Francisco, as the city and the pope share their namesake.
Later that evening, Pelosi and her husband had to leave Mass at St. Patrick’s Church in Rome due to a security incident.
While some reported that the incident involved Pelosi directly, later reports confirmed that the incident involved demonstrators on the streets of Rome who were nearing St. Patrick’s around the time of evening Mass. Pelosi’s security detail thus advised her to leave the church.
And today we celebrate...