New York City Mayor Eric Adams meets with Pope Francis in Rome
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams is opening up about his in-person meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican over the weekend.
"There's something special about Pope Francis, just down to his interactions with you. And it was clear how attentive he was," Adams said in virtual press conference Saturday.
The meeting marked the highlight of Adams' three-day trip to Rome, which was sponsored by a foundation created by the Pope. The mayor's 4,200 mile trip provided an opportunity for him to seek guidance on finding solutions to the pressing issues currently facing New York.
"It was a sacred moment for me just to have an opportunity to hear from Pope Francis, as he led the world on the most important issues of our time from the global refugee crisis to climate change, to the journey towards peace. He shows us how to meet these challenges with compassion and most importantly, with love," he said.
Adams spent time with the mayor of Rome and local leaders during the international meeting on human fraternity, which brings together world leaders, Nobel Prize winners and celebrities for roundtable discussions.
It's a chance to exchange ideas on issues that have touched their cities.
"It is a fraternity that many of us understand same issues, from housing to public safety to economic recovery, to educating children and making sure our cities are employable and our citizens are employable. And I join with the other speakers. It was a productive discussion," Adams said.
On Sunday, the mayor will visit a migrant center in hopes of gaining some insight into one of the biggest issues facing the city. Adams, however, says there is plenty he should be sharing with others as well.
"No one has this issue 100% right. I want to learn what the federal government is doing here. I want to learn if there are some practices that we can incorporate in what we're doing, and then we want to share what we are doing. Because if you are able to handle 194,000 people who are unable to work and they are in need of your complete care without one child or family sleeping on the street, that is something we should share with others, like nationally," he said.
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