Obamas gush over meeting Pope

Published April 29, 2011

Michelle Obama has been the first lady since 2009 and spoke about her experiences with Oprah — File Photo

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama and wife Michelle revealed to day time talk queen Oprah Winfrey that one of their biggest thrills as president and first lady had been seeing their kids meet Pope Benedict XVI.

Obama and his wife were asked about their best moments as a family since they moved into the White House in January 2009.

“A lot of our foreign travel for me I think, watching Malia and Sasha Obama ... meet the pope,” said the first lady in remarks released of the interview's full airing on Monday.

The president said that as they waited to meet Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican his girls had started to get weary.

“Apparently they were getting tired and they wanted to sit on the floor in the Sistine Chapel,” he said. “Apparently each time they saw somebody in a frock they'd say, is that the pope?”

Obama had an audience with the pontiff and visited the Vatican as part of a European trip in July 2009, with his wife and daughters Malia, who is now 12 and Sasha, who is 9.

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...