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Obama said he was 'incredibly moved' by a discussion with the pope on poverty. But the Vatican said the talk centered on church issues in the US, such as funding contraception through Obamacare.

President Obama met with Pope Francis for the first time on Thursday at the Vatican and appeared to enjoy the occasion. He and the pontiff exchanged a warm handshake, smiles, and nods when greeting each other outside the Papal Library in the Apostolic Palace.

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Wonderful meeting you, Mr. Obama said. Thank you, sir, thank you.

Accompanied by interpreters, the pair moved inside the library and sat on opposite sides of the popes desk, according to a White House pool report.

It is a great honor. Im a great admirer. Thank you so much for receiving me, said the US president.

Obama has good reason to enjoy a papal audience, of course. For one thing, he gets to associate with a world-renowned figure whose poll ratings are higher than his own.

Plus, parts of Pope Franciss agenda mesh nicely with Obamas political message for the 2014 US midterm elections. The pontiff has warned against the hubris of wealth and the dangers of ignoring the worlds poor and marginalized citizens. Obama and the Democrats, meanwhile, have been focusing on income inequality and the need to raise the US minimum wage.

But the course of US-Vatican relations has not always run smooth. For the White House, popes are not allies in a geopolitical sense, and they often talk about difficult issues, such as abortion or birth control.

Read more:

Obama, Pope Francis, and the (rocky) history of US-Vatican relations