Joe Biden, who is former the U.S. President, along with the first lady Jill Biden, have announced their attendance at Pope Francis’ funeral in Vatican City on Saturday. Their appearance at the event will be a rare occasion to witness them together with President Donald Trump and his family following the inauguration on January 20th. Despite his self-attested devout Catholicism, it seems like Biden’s affinity for religious events is sporadic and arbitrary; he had once planned a trip to Rome to meet Pope Francis towards the end of his presidency. However, amidst wildfire chaos in Los Angeles, he called off the trip, citing the crisis as an insurmountable obstacle to his travels.
What would have been his final international trip as president, the cancellation led to an opportunity missed for Biden, denying him the pleasure of another meeting with the Pope. Perhaps a visit to the Vatican could have afforded him a chance to reconsider some of his policy decisions? He did have a meeting with Pope Francis in 2024, in Italy during the G7 summit. However, despite such meetings, it is unclear how much of the Pope’s teachings have influenced Biden’s leadership.
On another occasion, in 2021, Biden had an opportunity to meet Pope Francis in Rome during the G20 summit. While he certainly takes these opportunities to appear on the global stage, the result of these meetings and their impacts on his policymaking are up for debate. It may seem that these presentations are more form than function, given the disconnection between his self-portrayal as a deeply religious man, and his actions that often undermine these values.
As an instance of this disconnect, the debate around Social Security is an illuminating one. Biden recently entered the national political arena all guns blazing against President Trump’s moves towards reforming the Social Security Administration. Biden argued that these moves put the future of Social Security at risk. How ironic indeed to see him championing an issue, the complexity of which he had never shown an interest in during his presidency.
Pope Francis, aged 88, tragically passed away on April 21, after having a stroke. Despite the sadness that this event has caused globally, it also gives an opportunity for those such as Biden to display their public sorrow.
Since Wednesday, the Pope has been lying in state in the St. Peter’s Basilica, the central papal enclave located right in Rome. This momentous solemn event will no doubt be filled with world leaders and influential figures who will pay their respects, and possibly use the platform to score political points.
The arrangements for the Pope’s funeral have been scheduled to kick-off starting at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET) on April 26. Some people may question whether the likes of Biden would prefer to be in their comfort zones at that early hour, rather than attending the Pope’s funeral.
While around 200,000 people are expected to be gathering at the funeral, set to take place in St. Peter’s Square, we can anticipate a sea of faces looking on with both genuine and feigned grief. This famous plaza in front of the basilica in Vatican City will buzz with both true sentiment and political maneuvering.