ANKARA

Pope Francis congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday for winning the 2020 presidential election.

Biden thanked the leader of the Catholic Church for "extending blessings and congratulations and noted his appreciation for His Holiness' leadership in promoting peace, reconciliation, and the common bonds of humanity around the world," said a statement from the Biden campaign.

"The president-elect expressed his desire to work together on the basis of a shared belief in dignity and equality of all humankind on issues such as caring for the marginalized and the poor, addressing the crisis of climate change, and welcoming and integrating immigrants and refugees into our communities," it added.

Biden will become the second Catholic president after John Kennedy occupied the White House from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.

Some of Biden's promises of healing the US, unity and environment are in line with Pope Francis.

Since his papacy began in March 2013, Francis has tried to establish connections between the Catholic Church and other religions, but those efforts have contrasted with President Donald Trump's policies on immigration and climate change.