Biden honors Pope Benedict XVI at embassy in Washington

President Biden on Thursday evening made an unexpected trip to the Vatican Embassy in Washington to pay his respects to Pope Benedict XVI, who was laid to rest earlier in the day.

The president signed a condolence book at the embassy, which is formally called the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See. Benedict died at the age of 95 last week.

Biden, who is the second Catholic president in U.S. history, spoke with Vatican officials and then sat down at a desk for several minutes to sign the book, with a photograph of Benedict behind him.

“It’s a great honor,” Biden said to Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Msgr. Seamus Horgan and Msgr. John Paul Pedrera.

“I used to be your neighbor across the street,” he added, referring to the vice president residence nearby. 

The U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly attended the funeral on Thursday to represent the U.S., which the White House said is in line with the wishes of the late pope and the Vatican. 

Biden told reporters Wednesday that he admired Benedict and had an opportunity to spend a couple of hours with him in 2011 when Biden was vice president.

“He was a great, and it reminded me of going back to theology class. We spoke about Aquinas and about ‘Summa Theologica’ and the whole litany. I found him to be relaxing and very rational,” Biden said.

He also noted that Benedict was a far more conservative Catholic than he is. 

“He was a more conservative view within the Catholic realm than I have and … the present pope, in terms of his philosophy, his view. But I admired him. I thought he was a fine man,” the president said.

Benedict’s funeral on Thursday was conducted by Pope Francis, marking the first funeral conducted by a sitting pope for a former pope. Benedict resigned in 2013, becoming the first pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church to resign in nearly 600 years.