Francis and Russell Nelson meeting at today at Vatican; first time a top Latter-day Saint prophet has ever met a Catholic pope.

For the first time, a Catholic pope and a Latter-day Saint prophet will meet — faith to faith and face to face.

Pope Francis and Russell M. Nelson, top leaders of separate global Christian religions, will sit down Saturday at the Vatican for an exchange a day before the American-born faith dedicates its first temple in the cradle of Catholicism.

M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will join the meeting as well.

While the historic encounter may not be as significant for the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics — popes frequently give audiences to foremost religious figures — the spiritual calculus adds up to watershed recognition for the 16 million-member LDS Church.