President Barack Obama will meet with Pope Benedict XVI when he visits Italy next month for a G8 summit, the Catholic News Service is reporting. The July 10 meeting will be the first between the two men, who have spoken by telephone on at least two occasions.

As CNS reports, “discussions between popes and U.S. presidents usually focus on common concerns regarding world events and the church's concerns over issues or policies with special moral relevance. So in addition to discussing ongoing tensions in the Middle East, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the situation in Iraq, Pope Benedict likely will bring up his concerns regarding abortion policy in the United States and renewed government permission for embryonic stem-cell research.”