Following the September 11 attacks and the beginning of the US war on terrorism from 2001 , the Vatican has been critical of the war on terrorism in general , and particularly critical of the US policies in Iraq . On July 10 , 2009 , President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict XVI met in Rome . A planned relocation of the U.S. embassy to the Holy See to the same location as the U.S. embassy to Italy drew criticism from several former U.S. ambassadors . On March 27 , 2014 , Obama and Pope Francis met in Rome ; this was followed by Pope Francis 's 2015 visit to North America in September 2015 , where , after visiting Cuba , he came to the U.S. , and participated in the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia , and also visited Washington , D.C. , and New York City
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Holy See–United States relations