Joe Biden cancels last meeting with Pope Francis

Washington - The planned final visit by the outgoing US head of state to the Italian capital has been cancelled. This means that President Joe Biden's audience with Pope Francis has also been cancelled.

Published on 09.01.2025 at 09:10 –

Due to the fire disaster in Los Angeles, US President Joe Biden has cancelled a planned visit to the Italian capital Rome. He wanted to concentrate fully on coordinating the measures to contain the fires, according to a statement from the White House on Wednesday (local time).

Biden wanted to travel to Rome from 9 to 12 January - shortly before the end of his term of office. A meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican was planned for 10 January to discuss efforts to bring peace to the world. A meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was also planned.

Meanwhile, more than 7,500 firefighters are battling the ongoing fires in Los Angeles. According to media reports, around 130,000 people are displaced and more than 1,000 buildings have been destroyed. The outgoing US President declared a state of disaster for the affected region. (KNA)