Obamas to meet with pope at White House

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will meet with Pope Francis at the White House during his first visit to the United States.

The pope will visit the White House on Sept. 23, one day before he addresses a joint session of Congress.

{mosads}Both men will discuss their “shared values and commitments on a wide range of issues,” including poverty, the environment, religious freedom and immigration, press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement on Thursday.

Obama’s first encounter with the Pope happened in March, when he visited the Vatican at the tail end of a European trip.

The pope played a central role in brokering the historic agreement between the United States and Cuba to begin normalizing relations and to free American prisoner Alan Gross.

Obama and Francis, however, have been at odds on other issues, such as contraception and same-sex marriage.

In addition to his address to Congress, Francis is expected to address the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 25 and hold an event in Philadelphia.