Head's up! The Pope looks surprised as Catholic Joe Biden gets VERY close to pontiff before Francis calls politics 'the highest form of charity'

President Joe Biden went head-to-head with the Pope on Friday, nuzzling close to Pope Frances during a day full day of meetings at the G7 in Italy.

The close encounter between the Pope and the nation's second Catholic president came at the top of a meeting about Artificial Intelligence, where the Pope gave a 20-minute speech warning of the risks and promise of the new technology – while issuing a defense of politics in a room full of beleaguered elected officials.

'We need politics,' the Pope said during his 20-minute address, which he joked was the shorter of two versions he brought with him.

It came after the pontiff made a dramatic entrance by helicopter nera the tranquil Borgo Egnazia village on the Adriatic for the annual confab of leaders.

Biden and the Pope have established a personal rapport, U.S. ambassador to the Vatican Joe Donnelly told DailyMail.com before Biden's Thursday night, hours before the meeting.

'These two love each other,' he said. Donnelly said he saw the Pope last week and the pontiff pulled him aside to say 'Say hello to the president for me.'

During their last meeting, in 2021, the pope asked first lady Jill Biden to pray for him, and the two men have often smiled when they are together.

Eye-to-eye: President Joe Biden got close with Pope Francis before the pontiff spoke on Artificial Intelligence at the G7 in Italy

Biden also used the earlier Vatican meeting to regale the Pope with some vintage Biden stories, giving him a challenge coin and joking about which of them would buy the drinks at their next meeting.

‘You are the most significant warrior for peace I’ve ever met,’ Biden told Francis.

The Pope appeared eager to lend some support to the group of beleaguered politicians who joined him around a huge round table in Italy Friday. He began by joking that he brought along two versions of his speech, then opted for the shorter one, which the Argentine delivered in Italian.

He thanked the ‘presidents, kings, all those who are with us here today,’ and was positioned across from Biden. He mentioned the ‘profound ethical challenges’ of AI, and expressed fear of ‘a culture of discarding others.’

‘No machine should ever decide to take the life of a human being away,’ he said, according to a simultaneous translation, amid breakthroughs of military applications of the technology. ‘No innovation is neutral,’ he said. 

Biden and other world leaders were eager to get close to Pope Francis during his visit. At one point photographers shouted toward Argentinian President Javier Milei to get out of the way after he blocked the shot of Biden greeting the Pope

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni greets Pope Francis as he attends the G7 Summit, at the Borgo Egnazia resort

Meloni was also on hand to greet the Pope when he arrived by helicopter at the summit, landing in Savelletri

Meloni road with the cope in a golf cart to the event site

The pope concluded by telling the gathered politicians that there was ‘corruption’ and ‘inefficiency’ among some politicians, but he defended the avocation generally.

'How can the world operate without politics?' he asked.  'Can it find an effective way toward universal brotherhood and social peace without good politics?  

‘We need politics,’ he continued. 'And I am reminded about what a pope said about politics. It is the highest form of charity.'

Biden's meeting with the Pope was closed to the press. 

A senior administration official noted that they had a ;very warm embrace when the Pope arrived at the AI session,' but couldn't speak to what was said in private.

Another senior administration official who briefed reporters in advance ran through the heavy topics they were likely to discuss.

Among them were the Middle East and the war in Gaza, climate change and issues of 'great concern and interest' to the Pope and the U.S.  

'And I'll just say on AI, I think we are both interested in and responsible use of artificial intelligence, preserving human dignity and human rights,' said the official.

One topic he didn't mention are the personal struggles and Biden must endure and navigate as he seeks reelection at 81 and encounters family pitfalls. His son Hunter was found guilty on three felony gun charges days before the trip.