WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Pope Francis on Saturday and awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, the nation's highest civilian honor, the White House said.
She added that this is the first time during his four years in office that Biden has been awarded the medal “with distinction.”
This week, Biden canceled his trip to Rome, where he was scheduled to meet the Pope in person, to oversee the federal response to the deadly fires in California.
