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OUR LADY OF THE WHITE HOUSE

Melania Trump reveals she is a devout Catholic after meeting the Pope – the first of the faith in the White House since JFK

First Lady seen praying at the feet of the statue of the Madonna

FIRST Lady Melania Trump has revealed she is a Catholic after a private audience with the Pope yesterday.

It comes after Pope Francis blessed her rosary for her during her Vatican visit with the President.

 US First Lady Melania Trump prays at the chapel of the Vatican-owned Bambino Gesu paediatric hospital during her visit
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US First Lady Melania Trump prays at the chapel of the Vatican-owned Bambino Gesu paediatric hospital during her visitCredit: AP:Associated Press
 Melania and Donald Trump meet Pope Francis
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Melania and Donald Trump meet Pope FrancisCredit: EPA

Her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham confirmed to MailOnline that she practises the religion.

This would make her the first Catholic to live in the White House since John F Kennedy and his wife Jackie in the early 1960s.

The Kennedy's were received by the Pope in 1962.

 Melania revealed her faith after her audience with the Pontiff
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Melania revealed her faith after her audience with the PontiffCredit: AP:Associated Press
 First Lady Jackie Kennedy with Pope John XXIII in 1962
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First Lady Jackie Kennedy with Pope John XXIII in 1962Credit: Bettmann

After her audience with the Pope, Mrs Trump visited a Vatican-owned Bambino Gesù (Baby Jesus) Hospital.

Here she was seen praying in the chapel.

She also read to a young Greek boy in need of a donor heart.

Later she also laid flowers at the feet of a statue of the Madonna.

Like her husband she was thrilled by her visit to the Vatican.

She tweeted: “Today's visit with His Holiness Pope Francis is one I'll never forget.

"I was humbled by the honor. Blessings to all.”

At first the President seemed uneasy - not surprising since he and the Pontiff have been caught up in a long running social media spat.

But after exchanging presents the pair seemed to warm to each other.

Tweeting afterwards, Trump described this as an “honour of a lifetime”.

In fact he was so chuffed he changed his Twitter page background photograph to one showing their meeting.

Meanwhile Trump’s daughter, Ivanka met victims of human trafficking and the Sant'Egidio community of activist Catholics.

Massive security precautions had been taken in Rome, with the areas around the presidential palace, Vatican City, the American ambassador's residence and the US embassy temporarily closed to traffic.


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