Melania is officially the first Catholic FLOTUS in over 50 years

Melania Trump has become the first Catholic first lady since Jackie Kennedy. When she moves in the White House later this year, she is set to become the first Catholic resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in over 50 years.

Melania’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, confirmed to CNN that US President Donald Trump’s spouse is a Roman Catholic. But the first lady's communications director chose to not speak about whether the Trumps would raise their son Barron in the Catholic faith.

Grisham also opted to not provide the specifics about the first lady’s religious habits. That includes whether she attends mass regularly.

Concerns about Melania’s religion resurfaced when she pulled out a rosary and had it blessed by Pope Francis during her recent visit to the Vatican with the US president and first daughter, Ivanka Trump. Shortly after their visit, the FLOTUS took to Twitter to say she was humbled by the honour of visiting the Pope. “Today's visit with His Holiness Pope Francis @Pontifex is one I'll never forget,” she wrote.

“What do you give him to eat, potizza?” Pope Francis asked Melania during the first family’s visit. The pope was referring to a Slovenian dessert.

Historian Kate Andersen Brower noted that just like Melania, the wife of 35th US President John Kennedy wore a black dress and a black lace mantilla on her head when the then-first couple visited Pope John XXIII in 1962. More than 15,000 people cheered the former first lady when she entered the Vatican City.

During a Florida rally in February, in her first public remarks as FLOTUS, Melania started her introduction to her husband by saying "Let us pray” and recited the Lord's Prayer. When the president took the podium, he was surprised by Melania’s recitation. He said he did not know his wife was going to say the Lord's Prayer, but was quick to add that it was beautiful.

Melania was born in Slovenia and she has said she was not baptized as an infant as the Communist Party, in which her father was a member, is officially atheist, Townhall reports. After the papal visit, she was photographed praying in front of a Virgin Mary statue.

In case you missed it:

The veil. Melania Trump’s spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham has defended the first lady for wearing a veil during her visit to the Vatican after opting not to wear a headscarf in Saudi Arabia. The papal visit was the first couple’s third stop on a nine-day international tour. Read it here.

No to PDA. International media did not miss the moment when Melania seemed to refuse holding US President Donald Trump’s hand in Rome. When her husband was trying to hold her hand, she pulled away and fixed her hair instead. Read: Melania refuses to hold Donald Trump’s hand again and why it matters

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