Hochul Meets the Pope, and Reflects on Her Father and Irish Catholicism

As Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York waited for Pope Francis in Clementine Hall, an ornate room with marble walls and frescoed ceilings in the Vatican’s papal apartments, her thoughts drifted to her father.

Ms. Hochul was last in Rome seven years ago with her father, who was celebrating his 80th birthday. He passed away suddenly in October, while the governor was on another diplomatic trip abroad, visiting Israel. And now, as she sat in the Vatican, she recalled her upbringing as a “social justice Catholic,” and how it shaped her political journey.

“It was a profound experience for me, sitting there reflecting on my family’s teachings,” Ms. Hochul said on Thursday. “I was thinking in that room that this is really a culmination of a lifetime dedicated to service.”

The governor was in Italy for just over 24 hours to attend a summit on climate change hosted by the pope at the Vatican. It was the second such trip taken by a New York leader in a week: Mayor Eric Adams of New York City met with the pope on Saturday.

Ms. Hochul arrived in Rome on Wednesday for a series of private meetings and a reception with Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.

On Thursday morning, the entire conference, which consisted of mayors, governors, climate activists and academics, gathered in the papal apartments for a private audience with Pope Francis. Some attendees wore suits, while others wore tribal attire, including feather headdresses, or more casual tourist clothes. Many brought gifts for the pope: bottles of wine, statues, flags.