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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday announced that President Joe Biden will travel to Italy next month to meet with Pope Francis, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

The trip is expected to take place from Jan. 9 through the 12, and will likely be the president’s last foreign trip before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office on Jan. 20. 

The White House said Biden, who is only the second Catholic president in American history, will have a meeting with the pope on January 10, where they will “discuss efforts to advance peace around the world.” 

“He will also meet with Italy’s leaders to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship, thank Prime Minister Meloni for her strong leadership of the G7 [Group of Seven] over the past year, and discuss important challenges facing the world,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

The trip will not be Biden’s first meeting with the pope. Biden previously met him in June, when Biden was in Italy for G7 meetings. Biden also met the pope at the Vatican in 2021.

The president’s trip comes after first lady Jill Biden completed her final foreign trip earlier this month, where she also visited Italy.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.