Pope congratulates Joe Biden on election; president-elect says look forward to working with Vatican

File picture of Pope Francis. Wikimedia Commons

It’s not precisely divine intervention, however even the pope considers the US presidential race over.

President-elect Joe Biden, a lifelong Roman Catholic, spoke to Pope Francis on Thursday, regardless of President Donald Trump refusing to concede. Trump claims — with out proof — that the election was stolen from him via large however unspecified acts of fraud.

Biden’s transition workforce stated in a press release that the president-elect thanked Francis for “extending blessings and congratulations and famous his appreciation.” He additionally saluted the pontiff’s “management in selling peace, reconciliation, and the frequent bonds of humanity world wide.”

Biden stated he hopes to work with Francis on points akin to local weather change, poverty and immigration.

Information of the decision got here at the same time as some Catholic bishops within the US decline to acknowledge Biden’s victory and argue that the devoted shouldn’t again him due to his assist for abortion rights.

On Tuesday, for instance, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, tweeted that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris assist “the slaughter of innocents” at any level throughout being pregnant.

Biden has stated he accepts church doctrine about abortion on a private stage, however doesn’t wish to impose that perception on everybody.

Biden has had a number of cellphone calls this week with international leaders, together with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. They’ve congratulated him on successful and contemplate the election settled.

Having the pope on board, too, possible has particular significance for Biden.

He’s simply the second Catholic to be elected president in US historical past, and the primary since John F. Kennedy. Biden speaks incessantly and brazenly in regards to the significance of religion in his life and attends Mass close to his dwelling in Wilmington, Delaware, almost each week.

Regardless of their religion, American politicians are sometimes keen to satisfy with the pope when touring close to Rome, although Francis declined to satisfy with Trump’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, in September, citing guidelines in opposition to such sit-downs throughout election intervals. Francis final visited the US in 2015.

Identified for advocating for openness on points like homosexual rights, the atmosphere and spiritual tolerance, Francis has been embraced by some liberals as furthering their causes.

In its assertion, the Biden transition workforce stated the president-elect advised the pontiff he want to work collectively to additional “a shared perception within the dignity and equality of all humankind on points akin to caring for the marginalized and the poor, addressing the disaster of local weather change, and welcoming and integrating immigrants.”

The Vatican confirmed the decision however supplied no remark in regards to the content material. In confirming the decision, the Vatican’s in-house media portal quoted a press release by the top of the U.S. bishops convention, Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, in congratulating Biden.

“The American individuals have spoken on this election. Now’s the time for our leaders to come back collectively in a spirit of nationwide unity and to commit themselves to dialogue and compromise for the frequent good,” Vatican Information quoted Gomez as saying.

The U.S. ambassador to the Holy See is Callista Gingrich, whose husband, former Home Speaker Newt Gingrich, has been among the many vocal supporters of Trump as he refuses acknowledge Biden’s victory. Callista Gingrich tweeted a selfie of the couple at Trump’s north Virginia golf membership on the day Biden was declared the winner whereas Trump golfed.

Within the election, 50% of Catholic voters backed Trump and 49% favored Biden, based on VoteCast, a survey of greater than 110,000 voters nationwide carried out for The Related Press by NORC on the College of Chicago.