Humbled and Silenced- Uganda’s Opposition Watches in Shock as Biden Embraces Anita Among at Pope Francis’ Funeral, Faith Bridges Divides
At the heart of St. Peter’s Square, under the solemn gaze of the world, former United States President Joe Biden and Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament Anita Among shared a rare and moving moment of warmth during the funeral rites for Pope Francis a testament to the power of faith to transcend political tensions and personal grievances.
Captured in a series of striking photographs, the two leaders were seen smiling together, exchanging greetings under the bright Vatican sun, despite the heavy backdrop of diplomatic friction following Washington’s recent sanctions against Among.
Dressed in a dignified black outfit, complete with a traditional fascinator, Among stood side by side with President Biden as mourners gathered to honor the life and legacy of a spiritual giant.
Another photograph captured an even lighter moment: Biden smiling for a selfie with Uganda’s Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa a scene that reflected the human spirit’s ability to find connection, even amid political storms.
The moment was particularly humbling for Uganda’s opposition groups, who had openly celebrated when the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Among last year, believing it would signal her political isolation. Instead, they were met with a powerful image that shamed their premature triumph: President Biden himself warmly greeting the very figure they had condemned, showing that personal faith and shared humanity hold greater weight than political narratives.
The sanctions, which froze Among’s U.S. assets and banned her entry over allegations of corruption linked to the iron sheets scandal, were mirrored by similar actions from the UK. Yet Among has consistently rejected the accusations, attributing the sanctions to her principled stand in support of Uganda’s anti-homosexuality law, and framing them as politically motivated attacks.
At the Vatican, however, it was not politics that spoke the loudest, but faith. Both Biden and Among are devout Catholics who wear their beliefs openly. Biden, the second Catholic president in U.S. history after John F. Kennedy, has often sought spiritual counsel from Rome. Among, likewise, proudly embraces her Catholic upbringing, having even taken her twin children to the Vatican for blessings.
In that sacred space, surrounded by the grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica and the statues of saints, politics melted away. Red velvet chairs awaited dignitaries, but for a few profound moments, the real seat of honor was occupied by shared belief a silent agreement that faith must rise above fleeting earthly disputes.
Observers noted the symbolic power of the encounter: a public lesson that personal attacks and political gamesmanship crumble when faced with the enduring truth of human dignity and spiritual unity.
Mr. Tayebwa’s joyful selfie with Biden only underscored this theme, offering a soft but firm rebuke to those who had cheered for Among’s downfall, only to find her standing in fellowship with the world’s most prominent Catholic leader.
The Vatican funeral drew the great and the humble alike, all gathered to mourn a Pope who had led the Catholic Church with compassion and resilience for over a decade. For Uganda’s delegation, led by Among and Tayebwa, it became not only a moment of grief, but a quiet, undeniable assertion of presence, dignity, and faith-driven diplomacy.
In the end, as Biden and Among stood together under the Roman sun, the message was clear: faith endures where politics fails and those who put their trust in personal destruction rather than reconciliation will find themselves standing on sinking ground.
