Pope rejects US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meeting

Pope rejects US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meeting Published duration 7 hours ago Related Topics US election 2020

image copyright Reuters image caption US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Italy on a state visit

The Vatican has denied US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo an audience with Pope Francis.

The Holy See said the Pontiff does not receive politicians during an election period.

The move adds to a diplomatic row following comments by Mr Pompeo about China and the Catholic Church.

The Vatican accused Mr Pompeo of trying to use that issue to attract voters in November's US presidential election.

In an article earlier this month, Mr Pompeo said the Catholic Church was risking its "moral authority" by renewing an agreement with China regarding the appointment of bishops.

Donald Trump receives support from conservative religious movements, including conservative Catholic voters, some of whom think Pope Francis is too liberal.

Despite this, in 2018 the Vatican made a deal with China to have some say over the appointment of Chinese bishops.

At the time Pope Francis said he hoped the deal "will allow the wounds of the past to be overcome" and bring about full Catholic unity in China.

The agreement is expected to be renewed next month in the face of opposition from some Catholics, including in the US.

In a speech on Wednesday in Rome Mr Pompeo called on the Vatican to defend religious freedom in China, saying "nowhere is religious freedom under assault more than in China."

image copyright Getty Images image caption The Vatican said the Pope does not receive politicians during an election period

The Vatican's two top diplomats, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Foreign Minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher, said Pope Francis will not receive Mr Pompeo.

"The Pope had already said clearly that political figures are not received in election periods. That is the reason," Cardinal Parolin said, according to AFP news agency.

The two politicians also described Mr Pompeo's public criticism of the Pope as a surprise and Archbishop Gallagher commented that issues for discussion should be negotiated "privately".

Cardinal Parolin also said it is possible Mr Pompeo's comments were designed to encourage Catholics to support Mr Trump at the polls in November.

"Some have interpreted it this way - that the comments were above all for domestic political use. I don't have proof of this but certainly this is one way of looking at it," he suggested.

Comments

Biden says K-12 education isn't working — calls for free pre-K to "grade 14"

President Joe Biden on Wednesday praised the nation's K-12 education system for fueling America's economic growth for almost a century. But, he stressed, that system may no longer be sufficient as the foundation for future prosperity. Mr. Biden's American Families Plan is taking aim at an issue that has bedeviled economists as well as millions of families struggling to stay afloat financially: A high school diploma is no longer enough to secure a middle-class life. Under the White House proposal, the nation's K-12 system would be expanded on both ends — from free pre-kindergarten education through a "grade 14," funding two years of schooling before kindergarten and two years of post-high school education through free community college. There's plenty of economic research that links rising high school graduation rates throughout the 20th century to faster U.S. economic growth. For example, broadening education help women enter the workforce and enabled men ...

Matt Gaetz's ex-girlfriend to cooperate with federal authorities in sex trafficking investigation

Washington (CNN) Federal authorities investigating alleged sex trafficking by GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz have secured the cooperation of the congressman's ex-girlfriend, according to people familiar with the matter. The woman, a former Capitol Hill staffer, is seen as a critical witness, as she has been linked to Gaetz as far back as the summer of 2017, a period of time that has emerged as a key window of scrutiny for investigators. She can also help investigators understand the relevance of hundreds of transactions they have obtained records of, including those involving alleged payments for sex, the sources said. News of the woman's willingness to talk, which has not been previously reported, comes just days after the Justice Department formally entered into a plea agreement with Joel Greenberg, a one-time close friend of Gaetz whose entanglement with young women first drew the congressman onto investigators' radar. CNN reported last week that investigators were pressing for the...

Rand Paul?s ignorant questioning of Rachel Levine showed why she should be confirmed as assistant health secretary

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), however, seemed more interested in talking about children’s genitals. “Dr. Levine, you have supported [minors] being given hormone blockers, and surgical reconstruction of a child’s genitalia,” Paul said, in a tirade in which he also conflated genital mutilation (a horrifying practice that public health experts view as a human rights violation) with the transition-related surgeries chosen by some transgender individuals to help their bodies conform with their gender identity. AD AD “You give a woman testosterone enough that she grows a beard. Do you think she’s going to go back looking like a woman when you stop the testosterone?” Paul demanded. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) questioned nominee for assistant health secretary Rachel Levine about her position on gender-affirming care for minors. (The Washington Post) Levine, who most recently worked as Pennsylvania’s top health official, is transgender. If her nomination succeeds, she will become the first publicly transg...

Politics Now - USA

Search This Blog