US president meets Pope Francis at Vatican

By Baris Seckin

VATICAN (AA) – U.S. President Donald Trump has met Pope Francis at the Vatican Wednesday after overseas trips to Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem.

Trump was accompanied by his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner as well as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The meeting was highly anticipated as the two leaders have expressed starkly differing viewpoints in the past, namely on such issues as migration and climate change.

Trump and Pope Francis shook hands, the former saying it was “a very great honor”.

After a 30-minute meeting at the Apostolic Palace, Trump gave Francis writings of civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr. The pope presented Trump with an olive tree medal that he said symbolized peace.

Donald Trump then proceeded to visit the Sistine Chapel with his wife.

The U.S. president also met with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella at the presidential palace and is expected to meet with Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

Trump will attend a NATO summit in Brussels on May 25.