Odds And Ends -- At The Vatican

(AFP photo)

Pope Benedict XVI speaks today with Pres. Obama and FLOTUS Michelle Obama. The two men had a "wide-ranging discussion," according to published reports, but few details were provided.

U.S. News and World Report notes that the pope and the president "used the event to send separate messages from a global stage."

In one politically charged gesture, the pope handed Obama a Vatican booklet on bioethics that condemns embryonic stem cell research and abortion rights, both of which the president supports. "I'll have something to read on the plane," Obama, who flew to Ghana after the meeting, joked to the pope.

Obama used the forum to get his own messages out, stressing areas of common ground between his administration and the Roman Catholic Church. Even on the divisive issue of abortion, for instance, the pope's press secretary said Obama "reiterated his commitment to reducing the incidence of abortion" during the meeting.

Read on.

And have a good weekend!