A brief history of popes and presidents | CNN Politics

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A brief history of popes and presidents

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Pope Francis 16 videos

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A brief history of popes and presidents

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Pope Francis gives his speech during his weekly general audience, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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Pope addresses Ireland's child sex abuse scandal

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Pope Francis speaks out on sex abuse scandal

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Pope Francis delivers his speech during his audience for members of the International Pilgrimage of the Ministrants at St Peter's Square on July 31, 2018 in Vatican City. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images)

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Pope on sex abuse report: 'we abandoned the little ones'

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Pope Francis prays during a weekly general audience in St Peter's square on May 23, 2018 in Vatican. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP) (Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)

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Pope declares death penalty inadmissible

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MALMO, SWEDEN - OCTOBER 31: Pope Francis gives a speech during the 'Together in Hope' event at Malmo Arena on October 31, 2016 in Malmo, Sweden. The Pope is on 2 days visit attending Catholic-Lutheran Commemoration in Lund and Malmo. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)

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Gay man: Pope told me 'God made you like that'

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On Sunday (April 15) Pope Francis comforted a child who lost his father during a visit to a poor district of Rome, saying God has a "dad's heart".
During a meeting Francis answered questions from children and one of them, Emanuele, was too shy to speak at the microphone so the pontiff decided to invite him onto stage. The child started crying and hugged Francis and whispered his question into the pope's ears, saying he was afraid that his father, who was an atheist, could not go to heaven.
Francis comforted Emanuele and said that it is God who decides who goes to heaven and that, since God has a 'dad's heart', he will not abandon the boy's dad, even if he was not a believer.
The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics visited the parish of St. Paul of the Cross in Rome's Corviale neighbourhood and met with children of the poor district of the Italian capital and celebrated Mass for the parish community.

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Boy asks pope if atheist father is in heaven

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Watch boy who survived cancer get Pope's kiss

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Pope Francis marries flight attendants Carlos Ciuffardi, left, and Paola Podest, center, during a flight from Santiago, Chile, to Iquique, Chile, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. Pope Francis celebrated the first-ever airborne papal wedding, marrying these two flight attendants from Chile's flagship airline during the flight. The couple had been married civilly in 2010, however, they said they couldn't follow-up with a church ceremony because of the 2010 earthquake that hit Chile. (L'Osservatore Romano Vatican Media/Pool Photo via AP)

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Pope performs impromptu wedding on plane

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A general view shows the crowd during the Easter Sunday mass on April 16, 2017 at St Peter's square in Vatican. Christians around the world are marking the Holy Week, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, leading up to his resurrection on Easter. / AFP PHOTO / Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)

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The outlaw origins of the Catholic Church

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Pope's farmer reveals pontiff's favorite food

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Little girl tries to steal Pope's hat

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president donald trump pope francis vatican gift exchange bts_00003422

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President Trump, Pope Francis exchange gifts

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Pope Francis meets with Polish bishops at Wawel royal castle in Krakow, on July 27, 2016 during World Youth Days.
Pope Francis heads to Poland for an international Catholic youth festival with a mission to encourage openness to migrants. / AFP / WOJTEK RADWANSKI (Photo credit should read WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

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Pope Francis' most memorable moments

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Charlene, Princess of Monaco (2-L) kisses the hand of Pope Francis, as her husband Prince Albert II of Monaco (L) looks on prior to a private audience with the pontiff at the Vatican on January 18, 2016. / AFP / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)

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Papal etiquette when meeting the Pope

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VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 29: Pope Francis waves to the faithful as he leaves St. Peter's Square at the the end of Palm Sunday Mass on March 29, 2015 in Vatican City, Vatican. On Palm Sunday Christians celebrate Jesus' arrival into Jerusalem, where he was put to death. It marks the official beginning of Holy Week during which Christians observe the death of Christ before celebrations begin on Easter. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

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Things Donald Trump has said about the Pope

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CNN —

Pope Francis is coming to Washington, and his schedule includes a trip to the White House. His visit will add his own chapter to the relationship between the White House and the Vatican.

The first sitting president to meet a reigning pope was Woodrow Wilson, who visited Pope Benedict XV in 1919.

The next president to meet a pope was Dwight D. Eisenhower, who met Pope John XXIII. Since then, every president – including John F. Kennedy, the only Catholic president to date – has met the pontiff.

Programming Note

Don’t miss live coverage of Pope Francis’ trips to Cuba and the U.S. on CNN and CNNgo, and see the people and places that shaped Pope Francis in a CNN special report, “The People’s Pope,” Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.

Which pope has met the most presidents? That distinction belongs to Pope John Paul II, who met five. Pope Paul VI was the first pope to visit the U.S. and met with President Johnson during that trip in 1965.

President Jimmy Carter welcomed the first pope to the White House when John Paul II visited in 1979.

Not to be outdone by his predecessors, President George W. Bush celebrated Pope Benedict XVI’s 81st birthday during his 2008 trip to Washington. The celebration included a birthday cake and, of course, a rousing rendition of everyone’s favorite copyrighted song “Happy Birthday to You.”

Pope Francis and President Barack Obama met for the first time in 2014.