Biden heading to Vatican City next month to meet with Pope Francis, Meloni in final overseas trip

Biden accepted the invitation to visit Vatican City during a phone call with Pope Francis Thursday, according to the White House. 

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Biden would meet with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella during the overseas trip. The four-day trip is planned for the second week in January, and the meeting between Biden and Pope Francis will occur in front of an audience on Jan. 10. 

Italy's position as president of the G7 countries, a position that rotates annually, will come to an end in the new year. The G7 is a cohort of the world's largest advanced economies.

Biden's trip to meet with Pope Francis will come shortly after the Vatican begins its Holy Year on Dec. 24, a centuries-long tradition that occurs every 25 years, during which pilgrims travel to Rome to visit holy sites and receive forgiveness.  

Biden is only the nation's second Catholic president, after John F. Kennedy. He has met with popes, including Francis, throughout his political career. The trips have also been reciprocated by Francis, who made his first formal visit to the U.S. when Biden was vice president.

One area where the two leaders' viewpoints notably diverge is abortion, however. Due to Biden's pro-choice stance, many critics, including Catholic bishops, questioned early on in his presidency whether Biden could continue receiving Holy Communion. But following the June meeting at the Vatican, Biden said that Francis expressed support for Biden to be allowed to continue receiving the sacrament.

Biden's trip in the final month of his presidency is expected to be his last overseas.