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Photos And Video Of President Obama Meeting Pope Francis At The Vatican

Photos And Video Of President Obama Meeting Pope Francis At The Vatican
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Pope Francis and President Obama met for the first time on Thursday at the Vatican, bringing attention to the relationship moving forward between the U.S. administration and the Catholic Church.

On the agenda for Thursday's meeting, as outlined in a White House statement, was to discuss the pair's "shared commitment to fighting poverty and growing inequality." After shaking hands and taking photos, the two leaders spoke privately for more than 50 minutes, which, as the Catholic News Service notes, is an unusually long time for such a meeting.

As he greeted the pope, President Obama said, "Thank you for receiving me, I'm a great admirer."

See the photos of the landmark meeting below:

Pope Francis Meets President Obama
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Pope Francis and US President Barack Obama shake hands after exchanging gifts during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis laughs with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis speaks with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis laughs with US President Barack Obama as they exchange gifts during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis stands next to US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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US President Barack Obama presents Pope Francis with a custom-made seed chest featuring a variety of fruit and vegetable seeds from the White House garden during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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US President Barack Obama speaks with Pope Francis during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis walks with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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US President Barack Obama laughs during a private audience with Pope Francis on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis walks with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis shakes hands with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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US President Barack Obama speaks with Pope Francis during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis stands next to US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis stands next to US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis speaks with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis and US President Barack Obama exchange gifts during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis meets with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis speaks with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis speaks with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis speaks with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis speaks with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis stands alongside US President Barack Obama, US Secretary of State John Kerry and his official delegation during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis speaks with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis walks with US President Barack Obama during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis and US President Barack Obama exchange gifts during a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Pope Francis meets with US President Barack Obama on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

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