President Obama presented Pope Francis with a custom-made seed chest on Thursday, containing fruit and vegetable seeds used in the White House garden.
The gift was inspired by the pope's decision to grant public access to the gardens of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, the pope's summer residence, according to a White House statement.
Obama and Francis met for 52 minutes at Vatican City.
The pope presented the president with a plaque of some kind, and an encyclical.
"I will treasure this," Obama said. "I actually will probably read this (encyclical) in the Oval Office when I'm deeply frustrated. I'm sure it will give me strength and calm me down."
The seed chest from Obama is made from American leather and wood reclaimed from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the oldest Catholic cathedrals built in the United States.
The inscription on the chest reads:
"Presented to His Holiness Pope Francis
by Barack Obama
President of the United States of America
March 27, 2014"
The White House said that "in keeping with the spirit of the gift, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello will donate seeds that will yield several tons of produce to a charity of Pope Francis' choosing."
National Cathedral Holds First Muslim Prayer
Trending Stories
Religious
groups around the world are taking note of what some are calling a
historic event at the National Cathedral. Five Muslim groups held
traditional Friday prayers at the Cathedral. But as News4's Kristin
Wright reports, not everyone is celebrating the move. (Published Friday,
Nov 14, 2014)
Updated at 10:49 PM EDT on Friday, Nov 14, 2014
A
Muslim prayer service being held at the Washington National Cathedral
for the first time was briefly disrupted by a protester Friday
afternoon.
"Jesus
Christ died on that cross over there!" a woman said loudly, immediately
after beginning announcements were made. "He is the reason why we are
to worship only him. Jesus Christ is our lord and savior!"
As she spoke, a man attempted to touch her arm, but she moved away from him several times.
She
continued in a loud voice, "We have built, and allowed you here in
mosques across this country. Why can't you worship in your mosque, and
leave our churches alone?"
RAW VIDEO: Protester Interrupts Muslim Service
![[DC] RAW VIDEO: Protester Interrupts Muslim Service](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tDuYoDNQarLJJQpHbgnJME9NoAWi-euL_dKlN1glGWsqe-F1E7EvS1Ixlfw1FENqSFrc0Df6yl3YkfO1q7TXIelKCv1qQzd16hbufOsU_IZP0AdYkm7qGtHuSohIdOWPWmE7qEAsn9E_U=s0-d)
The
protester was then escorted out of the cathedral, News4's Kristin
Wright reported. She allowed two men to remove her without incident, but
she raised her voice again once she was taken to an adjoining space.
The
historic cathedral held Friday's service to help foster more
understanding and acceptance between Christians and Muslims around the
world.
The
prominent Episcopal cathedral often hosts national events, such as
presidential funerals, and has hosted Muslims at various interfaith
services in the past. But planners said this is the first time the
cathedral has invited Muslims to lead their own prayers there, which
they call a "powerful symbolic gesture.''
Planners
said the prayer service developed after the cathedral's liturgical
director met South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool while planning the
national memorial service for Nelson Mandela, the former president of
South Africa.
In a statement, Rasool said, "This is a dramatic moment in the world and in Muslim-Christian relations."
In advance of the prayer service, Franklin Graham -- son of evangelist Billy Graham -- criticized the decision on Facebook.
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