The mayor went to Rome, saw Vatican City and met the pope on a recent three-day trip.

Mayor Eric Adams was in Italy to attend the World Meeting on Human Fraternity, a global peace conference.

What You Need To Know

  • Mayor Eric Adams met Pope Francis on Saturday morning in Rome
  • Adams went to Rome for a three-day trip that included visits to a migrant center and Vatican City
  • The mayor was in Rome to attend the World Meeting on Human Fraternity, a global peace conference
  • Adams also visited the Roman Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel on his trip

The mayor's trip lasted from Friday to Sunday. On Saturday morning, Adams met Pope Francis.

“Clearly there’s something special about Pope Francis, just down to his interactions with you. It was clear how attentive he was,” Adams said.

Adams spoke to the pope for a few minutes and had some specific requests.

“Please pray for us as we deal with the many conflicts globally. The war in Sudan, what is happening in Haiti, what is happening in the Middle East. I discussed Robert Kraft’s organization to end antisemitism,” Adams said.

The mayor said the pope responded in the affirmative and then asked Adams to pray for him.

“I think that some people have a level aura and energy and the ability to just calm people in different situations, and I think that’s what he possessed,” Adams said.

The mayor said ahead of the meeting that he was excited to see the pope.

“In my prayers, I thank God for having the opportunity this morning,” Adams said.

Adams also delivered remarks to the global conference on Saturday. His speech focused on issues facing major cities.

“Mayors say it all the time. It’s a fraternity that many of us understand. It’s the same issues from housing to public safety to economic recovery to educating children to making sure our citizens are employable,” Adams said.

Adams used the last day of his trip to visit local communities and migrant centers.

The mayor started Sunday by visiting a migrant center outside of Rome. Adams said his goal was to see how Italy handled their own influx of migrants.

“Probably the top thing is how fast they are able to cycle the migrants and asylum seekers out of the welcome center. Within two months, they target folks into working, trained, teaching them basic Italian and moving them forward through the system,” Adams said.

The mayor said he plans to potentially use the best practices he saw in Rome back in New York.

On Sunday, Adams also made stops in Jewish and Muslim communities, visits that came as Adams has been dealing with pro-Palestinian protests and antisemitism in the city.

“As I moved from those different houses of worship, there was the same underlying theme. Be kind to your fellow man. Be there to assist them as they move forward. And let your faith be shown through you as you move about your daily life,” Adams said.

The mayor’s trip was funded by the foundation that hosts the conference. Adams returned to New York City on Monday.