WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden has decided to cancel his scheduled trip to Rome this week where he was supposed to meet Pope Francis. Instead, he will concentrate on the wildfires currently affecting Los Angeles, as announced by the White House late Wednesday.

According to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, after Biden’s return on Wednesday evening from Los Angeles, he decided to forgo his planned trip to Italy to focus on coordinating the federal response to the fires in the upcoming days.

This trip would have marked Biden’s final international visit as president. He was set to leave Washington for Italy on Thursday evening to meet the pope over the weekend, just before his presidential term concludes on January 20. Jean-Pierre did not specify if the trip would be rescheduled before he leaves office, but mentioned that more information would follow.

While in Los Angeles, Biden received an update from local fire officials as the region faces catastrophic wildfires exacerbated by strong Santa Ana winds. He committed to providing complete federal support to combat the fires and assist with recovery efforts afterward.

Biden visited Los Angeles to announce the establishment of two national monuments in the Eastern Coachella Valley. During this visit, he also celebrated the arrival of his first great-grandchild when his eldest granddaughter, Naomi Biden, gave birth to a baby boy in Los Angeles.