President Joe Biden presented a Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction on Saturday to the leader of his own church, Pope Francis. Biden praised the Catholic leader for being a “light of faith,

Joe Biden has awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom and praised him as the “People’s Pope”. Mr Biden, who leaves office in just over a week, spoke with the Pope on Saturday and named him as a recipient of the US’s highest civilian honour.

Joe Biden awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom to Pope Francis, a personal marker of his Roman Catholic faith after devastating fires in California prompted the president to cancel a Vatican visit during his final days in office.