WHITE HOUSE NOTEBOOK: Obama staffers meet pope

VATICAN CITY — If one career highlight was getting Barack Obama elected president, another might be meeting the pope.

Several senior White House staffers had the honor Friday, after President Barack Obama’s private audience with Pope Benedict XVI. First lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha also met the pontiff.

Among the top aides who got to meet the leader of the Roman Catholic church were senior adviser David Axelrod, deputy chief of staff Mona Sutphen, national security adviser James Jones and one of his deputies, Denis McDonough, and press secretary Robert Gibbs.

Obama introduced them to the pope, one by one, almost like a proud father.

He even noted that McDonough has a brother who is a priest.

McDonough and Gibbs clasped the pontiff’s hand and kissed his ring.

Don’t expect to see any photos or video of Malia and Sasha meeting the pope.

In keeping with the Obamas’ practice of protecting their daughters’ privacy at certain times, the girls were ushered out of the meeting room before reporters and photographers were allowed back in for the final moments.

The first lady’s mother, Marian Robinson, also had a moment with Benedict.

The pope gave the president reading material for the flight to Ghana, the final stop on his trip: a copy of a Vatican document on bioethics. Issued in December, the tome hardened the church’s opposition to using embryos for stem cell research, cloning and in-vitro fertilization. Obama supports stem cell research.

“Yes, this is what we had talked about,” Obama said, telling the pope he’ll read it en route to Africa.

The pope’s secretary, the Rev. Georg Ganswein, had told reporters the document would “help the president better understand the position of the Catholic church.”

The papal gifts to Obama also included a mosaic representing St. Peter’s Square, and a pontifical medal.

Obama was to give Benedict a stole that had been placed on the remains of St. John Neumann, a 19th-century Redemptorist and the first male naturalized U.S. citizen to become a saint.

It wasn’t a gift in the traditional sense, but Obama hand-delivered to the pope a personal letter from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Kennedy, the patriarch of one of America’s most prominent Roman Catholic families and a key Obama supporter, was diagnosed a year ago with terminal brain cancer.

Obama and Benedict discussed the Massachusetts senator at the end of their meeting.

Obama asked the pope to pray for Kennedy, said White House national security aide Denis McDonough.

Press secretary Gibbs told reporters that Obama telephoned Kennedy after the meeting, and they talked for about 10 minutes before Air Force One took off for Ghana.

Gibbs and McDonough spoke to reporters en route.

Gibbs said he didn’t think Obama and the pope prayed together. Just before leaving the Vatican, Obama did say to the pontiff: “God Bless You.”

Gibbs said Obama “said that he asked the pope to pray for his family, that’s what he specifically asked for.”

It’s a statement sure to delight Africans across the continent: Obama hinted Friday that he’ll attend next year’s World Cup soccer championship in South Africa.

After a photo with South African President Jacob Zuma, Obama was asked whether he’ll attend the matches.

His reply? “That’s my goal.”

The White House has said a final decision about attending has yet to be made. But Obama’s response suggested that he wants to.

After answering the question, the U.S. president playfully asked, “Did you get that?”

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has invited Obama to the World Cup opening ceremony and has said Obama will try to make it. The White House said Obama has agreed to meet with the head of FIFA, the governing body of the sport, about the World Cup.

The tournament runs from June 11-July 11.