The Obama administration is seeking advice from Pope Francis in the negotiation of the release of three American prisoners held in Iran, including Pastor Saeed Abedini.
Washington and the Vatican have had conversations about the prisoners in recent months, according to Politico.
In the lead up to Pope Francis' visit to Washington there is speculation that further discussion will occur.
Pope Francis wrote to both Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro compelling them to repair broken relations. The Vatican hosted further talks and has played a role in the release of American prisoner Alan Gross from Cuba.
The impact Francis had in Cuba was partially natural as Cuba is a mostly Catholic nation. Tehran, Iran, may be a less natural place of influence, as it is run by Muslim theocrats.
Despite this, Politco has reported that the Pope met in February with a group of influential Iranian women.
One of the women, Shahindokht Molaverdi, is Iran's vice president for women and family affairs. She spoke to Catholic publication Crux about the hope she had for the Pope's potential influence in Iran.
"Certainly this pope has an ability to bring people together, which can also influence governments."
The imprisoned American citizens, pastor Saeed Abedini, former Marine Amir Hekmati and Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, and their status has loomed over the Iran nuclear deal talks recently.
Despite some protesting that their release should have been part of the deal, the White House insisted that the issues must be kept secret.
Politico referred to an unnamed source saying that the US and Vatican have discussed the American prisoners, and that at least one prisoner's family has appealed to the Pope for assistance.
