The meeting lasted almost two hours.
The issue of the Ukrainian children abducted and deported by Russian forces was among those discussed, the White House said.
“President Biden shared his wishes for Pope Francis’s continued ministry and global leadership and welcomed the recent nomination of a U.S. archbishop as cardinal,” a White House statement read.
“They also discussed the Holy See’s efforts providing humanitarian aid to address the widespread suffering caused by Russia’s continuing aggression in Ukraine, as well as the Vatican’s advocacy for the return of forcibly deported Ukrainian children.”
Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, is on a three-day mission to Washington to “promote peace in Ukraine” the Vatican said.
After the first mission to Kyiv, during which the cardinal met with representatives of the civilian and religious authorities and with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Vatican said the talks would “undoubtedly be useful in evaluating the steps to be continued to be taken both at the humanitarian level and in the search for paths to a just and lasting peace”.
ANSA
