Biden awards his first-ever honorary medal with distinction to Pope Francis via phone call

Pope Francis is the latest recipient of the American Presidential Medal of Freedom by outgoing US President Joe Biden, in a string of presentations amid the end of the former's term in office. 

The Head of the Catholic Church was presented with the medal with distinction, Caliber.Az reports citing Vatican news outlets. It marks the first time that the honour with distinction has been awarded by the catholic president, who himself was the recipient of the same award in a surprise ceremony shortly before the end of the Obama-administration eight years ago. 

The ceremony had to be held during a telephone conversation as President Biden had to cancel his visit to Rome so he could oversee the ongoing wildfire response efforts in California. 

The award is the highest civilian honor in the United States. In a statement via the president's official X account, he praised the pontiff as a "light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world." 

Pope Francis, your humility and your grace are beyond words, and your love for all is unparalleled.

As the People's Pope, you are a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world.

Today, it was my honor to award His Holiness Pope Francis the Presidential… pic.twitter.com/q4a0DKoSyi

— President Biden (@POTUS) January 11, 2025

According to the news article, the citation for the pope says "his mission of serving the poor has never ceased. 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. A welcoming leader, he reaches out to different faiths.”

On January 4, Biden awarded another 19 people with the prestigious award, some of whom have supported him in his long political career, though without distinction. Among the list of recipients was former Secretary of State and fellow Democrat Hilary Clinton, Hungarian billionaire George Soros, Hollywood actors Michael J. Fox and Denzel Washington, Argentinian Football legend Lionel Messi and the Vogue fashion magazine's global editor, British Anna Wintour. 

By Nazrin Sadigova