Biden Meets Among at the Vatican

KAMPALA | United States President Joe Biden and Speaker of Parliament Anita Among shared a moment of rare cordiality at the Vatican, where they attended the funeral rites for Pope Francis.

The meeting, captured in photographs showing the two smiling warmly for the camera, came against a backdrop of tense relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions on Ms Among.

Clad in a black dress and fascinator, Ms Among was seen exchanging pleasantries with President Biden in St Peter’s Square, as mourners gathered to bid farewell to the late Pontiff.

Another image showed Mr Biden posing for a selfie with Uganda’s Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, suggesting an atmosphere of civility despite recent diplomatic strains.

The Biden administration last year froze Ms Among’s assets and banned her from travel to America, accusing her of overseeing widespread corruption under her leadership of Uganda’s Parliament.

The US sanctions followed a similar one by the auK government.

The sanctions were particularly linked to the scandal involving the diversion of iron sheets intended for vulnerable communities in Karamoja.

Ms Among, for her part, has consistently rejected the accusations, insisting that the punitive measures were politically motivated and tied to her championing of Uganda’s controversial anti-homosexuality law.

Despite the political tensions, the Vatican meeting underscored a more personal common ground between the two leaders: both Biden and Among are devout Catholics who have publicly spoken about their faith.

President Biden, only the second Catholic president in US history after John F. Kennedy, has previously met Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Similarly, Speaker Among, who often invokes her Catholic upbringing in her public speeches, also visited Pope Francis in Rome during earlier pilgrimages, including taking her twin children for Papa blessings.

The moment of interaction between Biden and Among — standing side by side under the bright Vatican sun, as red velvet chairs behind them sat waiting for dignitaries from around the world — illustrated how shared faith and global mourning can sometimes transcend political divides.

Observers noted that while the encounter appeared brief and informal, its symbolism could not be missed.

Mr Tayebwa’s own interaction with Biden, captured as the two examined a smartphone together for a selfie, added a personal touch to the solemn occasion.

It also hinted at Uganda’s continuing efforts to keep diplomatic channels open, even amid sanctions and harsh rhetoric.

The Vatican funeral brought together global leaders, heads of state, and thousands of faithful in an emotional farewell to Pope Francis, who led the Catholic Church for over a decade.

For Uganda’s delegation, led by Ms Among and Mr Tayebwa, the ceremony offered a poignant moment of reflection, and perhaps an opportunity for quiet diplomacy beneath the grandeur of St Peter’s Basilica.

Ms Among and Mr Biden, standing in the historic courtyard surrounded by statues of saints and the imposing Renaissance architecture, appeared to momentarily set aside geopolitics in honour of a shared spiritual leader.

Clad in a black dress and fascinator, Ms Among was seen exchanging pleasantries with President Biden in St Peter’s Square, as mourners gathered to bid farewell to the late Pontiff