Pope Francis to visit White House on Sept. 23

WASHINGTON — President Obama will host Pope Francis at the White House on Sept. 23, the White House confirmed Thursday.

The historic visit will mark only the third time a pontiff has visited the White House. President Carter met with Pope John Paul II in the Oval Office for an hour in 1979; President Bush hosted Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the two leaders would discuss a broad range of issues, including poverty, the environment, religious freedom and immigration.

Obama and Francis last met a year ago at the Vatican — a visit that secretly laid the diplomatic groundwork for the United States to normalize relations with the largely Catholic nation of Cuba.

The September trip will be Francis' first papal visit to the United States. He's also scheduled to attend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia and travel to New York City to address the United Nations on Sept. 25.

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