After a 52-minute private audience, President Barack Obama and Pope Francis exchanged gifts at the Vatican on Thursday.
The president presented the pontiff with a custom-made seed chest containing a variety of fruit and vegetable seeds used in the White House garden - a nod to the Pope's decision to open the gardens of his summer residence to the public later this year.
The pope offered Obama two medallions, and then handed him a copy of the "The Joy of the Gospel," his apostolic exhortation in which he denounced the global economic system that excludes the poor. He added in Spanish, "and this is for when you are bored."
"You know, I actually will probably read this when I'm in the Oval Office, when I am deeply frustrated and I am sure it will give me strength and will calm me down," Obama said.
"I hope," the pope responded.
