According to President-elect Joe Biden's transition team, even the pope considers the U.S. presidential race over. Biden spoke with Pope Francis on Thursday, despite President Donald Trump refusing to concede. Trump claims — without evidence — that the election was stolen through massive fraud. Biden said he hopes to work with the pontiff on issues such as climate change, poverty and immigration. News of the call came even as some U.S. Catholic bishops decline to acknowledge Biden’s election and argue that the faithful should not back him because of his support for abortion rights. Biden is the second Catholic elected U.S. president, after John F. Kennedy.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 file photo, Pope Francis addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, making history as the first pontiff to do so. Listening behind the pope are Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio. President-elect Joe Biden, a lifelong Roman Catholic, spoke to Pope Francis on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, despite President Donald Trump refusing to concede. Trump claims — without evidence — that the election was stolen from him through massive but unspecified acts of fraud. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
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