President Obama wrapping up economic summit, meets Friday with pope, departs for Africa

October 1st, 2009 Pope meets Pakistan president at summer retreatCASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — The Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI and the president of Pakistan discussed the need to end religious discrimination during a meeting at the papal summer retreat. Tensions have flared in recent months between Pakistan's Muslim minority and its religious minorities.

September 25th, 2009 Obama spending day at G-20 summitWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is spending the day in Pittsburgh, the site of the G-20 economic summit. The White House says the president will attend both morning and afternoon plenary sessions and will attend the G-20 leaders lunch.

September 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama moves from one summit of world leaders to another Thursday. The early part of the day is devoted to meetings in and around the United Nations General Assembly.

September 23rd, 2009 Countries represented at Pittsburgh summitPITTSBURGH — Countries taking part in the Group of 20 economic summit Thursday and Friday in Pittsburgh: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, Britain and the United States. The European Union, represented by its rotating presidency and the European Central Bank, is the 20th member.

August 10th, 2009 Obama wrapping up summit in MexicoGUADALAJARA, Mexico —President Barack Obama wraps up his two-day visit to Mexico and then returns home to Washington. First, Obama attends a trilateral meeting with President Felipe Calderon of Mexico and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada in Guadalajara.

July 10th, 2009 Obama delivers letter to pope from Sen. KennedyVATICAN CITY — President Barack Obama has given Pope Benedict XVI a personal letter from ailing Sen.

July 10th, 2009 Obama at Vatican to meet with Pope Benedict XVIVATICAN CITY — President Barack Obama has arrived at the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. Obama's motorcade arrived at the Holy See on Friday, greeted by Swiss Guards in their colorful uniforms.

July 10th, 2009 Obama meets with Pope Benedict XVIVATICAN CITY — President Barack Obama is meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. Shaking hands with the pope, Obama said it was "a great honor" to meet him.

July 10th, 2009 L'AQUILA - While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been busy with back-to-back meetings of the G8-G5 summit and bilaterals with heads of other countries in this quake-hit town of central Italy, his wife Gursharan Kaur had her own engagements that included an audience with the Pope. Kaur was taken with wives of other top leaders by Italian authorities to have a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in Rome, about 100 km from here.

July 7th, 2009 A glance at Obama's overseas itineraryA glance at President Barack Obama's itinerary for his overseas trip: FRIDAY, JULY 10, IN ITALY — Attends G-8 breakfast with African countries. — Attends G-8 session with African countries.

July 5th, 2009 Obama to begin overseas mission SundayWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is embarking on his next foreign mission. He leaves late Sunday on a weeklong trip that takes him to Russia, Italy and Ghana.

July 4th, 2009 Pope urges G8 leaders to act on crisisVATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI has urged G-8 leaders meeting in Italy next week to rewrite global financial rules and defend the world's poor from the effects of the economic downturn, the Vatican said Saturday. In a letter to Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who will chair the summit, Benedict appealed to leaders to "listen to the voice of Africa and of the countries that are less developed economically." Benedict said the economic crisis means there is a "real risk not only that hopes to emerge from extreme poverty will be dashed, but that populations that so far have benefited from a minimum of material well-being will fall into poverty." The pope called on the leaders to "reform the international financial architecture" to avoid the speculative operations blamed for the crisis and ensure public and private credit is made available for economic development and job creation, especially in poor regions.

June 24th, 2009 Obama to visit pope during G-8 visitWASHINGTON — A White House spokesman says President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict XVI will talk about their shared belief in the dignity of all people at their meeting next month. The White House on Wednesday said the two leaders would meet while Obama visits Italy for the G-8 summit.

June 5th, 2009 Pope meets with Irish churchmen after abuse reportVATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI has met with Ireland's top churchmen following the publication of a damning report detailing decades of rapes, humiliation and beatings at church-run reform schools in Ireland. The Vatican says they briefed the pope on the report.

March 16th, 2009 ROME - The Vatican and Washington are in the process of organising a meeting of Pope Benedict XVI with US President Barack Obama, according to media reports Sunday. It is possible that the two leaders would meet during Obama's first visit to Europe on the occasion of the G20 summit in London in April, US Vatican representative Thomas J.