Pope congratulates Biden for election win, discusses climate change and refugee crisis

On November 12, Pope Francis spoke with US President-elect Joe Biden over the phone and formally congratulated him for his projected victory in the 2020 US elections, Democrat’s transition workforce said in an announcement. The President-elect Biden thanked Pope for extending blessings and congratulations. Further, he expressed appreciation for Pope Francis’ leadership in “promoting peace, reconciliation, and the common bonds of humanity around the world”. Former vice-president, if officially assumes presidency will be the second Catholic elected to the US presidency, after John F Kennedy in 1960.

“The President-elect expressed his desire to work together on the basis of a shared belief in the dignity and equality of all humankind on issues such as caring for the marginalized and the poor,” the announcement read.

The two addressed the crisis of climate change, immigrants' and refugees' crisis, and the problems surrounding the marginalized community. In his 2020 marketing campaign against US President Donald Trump, Biden emphasized his Irish Catholic roots and swore to “restore the soul of America”. Biden was also spotted carrying a rosary that belonged to his late son Beau Biden, an Iraq war veteran who died of cancer. According to sources of Associated press, Pope extended greetings in the wake of the catholic bishops’ rejection of Biden’s victory, as he supported abortion rights. 

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Biden-Harris abortion policies rift

Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler tweeted earlier that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris supported the “slaughter” of the innocent, citing their pro-abortion policies. Meanwhile, Joe Biden clarified that while he accepted the church doctrine on a personal level, he does want to impose beliefs on women to make those choices. Biden attends Mass near his home in Wilmington, Delaware every week, as per the AP sources. The president-elect also held telephonic conversations with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel who congratulated him on his projected win. 

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