Pope Francis shakes hands with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as they meet at the Vatican, Monday, June 28, 2021. Blinken is on a week long trip in Europe traveling to Germany, France and Italy.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis expressed his “affection” for the American people as he met at length Monday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Blinken declined to delve into “domestic politics” when later asked if the two discussed a campaign by U.S. bishops to deny Holy Communion to Roman Catholic politicians like the U.S. president who support abortion rights.

The Vatican said the two spoke for about 40 minutes, a long time considering that Blinken isn't the top U.S. administration leader.

The closed-door meeting in the Apostolic Palace “played out in a cordial atmosphere,” a Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, said. The meeting, “was, for the pope the occasion to recall his 2015 visit and to express his affection and his attention to the people of the United States of America.”

Bruni was referring to the pontiff's U.S. pilgrimage, which included a meeting at the White House with then President Barack Obama. In recent years, the U.S. church hierarchy has been increasingly more polarized about U.S. politics and politicians.

Many of the more conservative U.S. bishops have been clamoring for a clear directive from their ranks against giving Communion to U.S. political figures who are Roman Catholics and support women's right to abortion. Vatican teaching forbids abortion as a grave sin. This campaign puts the heat on President Joe Biden, a Catholic who has said that while he personally opposes abortion, he supports abortion rights.