President Joe Biden awarded the the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Pope Francis on Saturday.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor.
According to NPR, the honor was bestowed “with distinction” — making Pope Francis the first person to receive the added level of honor by Biden.
The White House lauded Pope Francis for serving the poor, advocating for peace and protecting the planet.
“A loving pastor, he joyfully answers children’s questions about God. A challenging teacher, he commands us to fight for peace and protect the planet,” the statement read. “A welcoming leader, he reaches out to different faiths. The first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, Pope Francis is unlike any who came before.”
“Above all, he is the People’s Pope — a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world,” per the statement.
Biden is the second Catholic president in U.S. history. John F. Kennedy was the first.
Biden and the pope met three times when Biden was vice president. Biden would cite the pope in his speeches.
The subject of abortion brought discord to the otherwise cordial relationship as Biden sought to expland access to abortion.
As such, the two would focus on issued they Biden and the pope often focused on the issues they thought likewise, such as climate change.
Biden was expected to visit with the Pope, but that trip was canceled in light of the wildfires in California.
The pair spoke over the phone on Saturday also discussed efforts to “advance peace around the world. This includes Pope Francis’ work to allileviate suffering for vulnerable communities,” per the White House.
Two popes have received this honor ahead of Pope Francis.
Pope John XXIII was recognized after his death by President Lyndon Johnson in 1963.
Pope John Paul II was honored by President George W. Bush in 2004.
A total of 19 Medals of Freedom last weekend
Those include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Michael J. Fox, Denzel Washington, Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi, conservationist Jane Goodall and William Sanford Nye, also known as “Bill Nye the Science Guy.”
