Warnock recaps ‘impactful’ meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock said the advice he received from Pope Francis will remain on his mind as he prepares to vote on a foreign aid package that includes billions of dollars in humanitarian aid for Gaza.

Warnock cut his trip in Rome short, returning to the United States on Sunday ahead of votes scheduled for Tuesday on aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. The House voted Saturday to approve the $95 billion package over the objection of dozens of conservative Republicans.

“It was a quick trip, but an impactful trip,” Warnock said of his two days in Italy.

The Atlanta Democrat met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday. They talked about their shared backgrounds as religious leaders in the political spotlight. Warnock is head pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

For a time, the two men spoke one-on-one with just an interpreter in the room.

“He said you engage the politics, but you remain grounded in your faith and anchored in that,” Warnock recounted. “And then we had a talk about how that informs one’s perspective on a whole range of issues that we’re dealing with right now in the public square.”

Warnock said he and Pope Francis talked about Israel’s war with Hamas and its impact on the people of Gaza, including the small community of Christians in the mostly Muslim territory. Pope Francis told Warnock that he stays in regular contact with them despite the demands of his role as the leader of 1.3 billion Catholics around the world.

At the end of their time together, the pope and the preacher prayed for one another.

The senator said it is long overdue for Congress to approve the foreign aid, which includes $61 billion for Ukraine and replenishing U.S. weapons stockpiles in the fight against the Russian invasion. Other scheduled votes are to approve $17 billion for supporting Israel, $9 billion in humanitarian relief in Gaza and $8 billion to assist allies in the Indo-Pacific region such as Taiwan.

While Warnock was able to squeeze in other meetings with international aid organizations and representatives of the World Food Programme, he ultimately decided that he should fly back early to ensure he does not miss Tuesday’s votes.

“I have been disappointed and frustrated that it is taking Congress so long to provide our friends in Ukraine the aid they need (and) the people of Gaza, who are suffering, the aid that they need,” he said. “Once I realized we were going to vote on this, I changed my flight plans and made my way back here with dispatch because we we can’t get this done soon enough.”