Biden awards Pope Francis medal of freedom, highest US civilian honor

Pope Francis greets a child at the Jubilee audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican, January 11, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

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.

It was the first time during his four years in office that Biden awarded the medal "with distinction," it said.

Biden this week canceled his trip to Rome, where he was due to meet the pope in person, to oversee the federal response to the deadly fires in California.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Will Dunham)