U.S. President Obama meets with Pope Benedict XVI

U.S. President Barack Obama met with Pope Benedict XVI for the first time on Friday.

VATICAN, July 10 (RIA Novosti) - U.S. President Barack Obama met with Pope Benedict XVI for the first time on Friday.

Obama paid a visit to the Vatican immediately after the end of the G8 summit in Italy's L'Aquila. The two men had previously only had a telephone conversation.

Obama also said that it was "a great honor" to meet the head of the Catholic Church, who presented him with a booklet on bioethics.

"I pray for you," the pope told Obama.