Not looking for a diss
However, it’s hard to understand why the Obama administration has not requested a papal meeting only weeks before the president’s trip to Italy. Heads of state have schedules to keep.
And the pope, head of the Vatican City State, is leaving Rome for his scheduled vacation a few days after Obama arrives.
The Holy See’s press office announced today that Pope Benedict XVI will leave for vacation in northern Italy from July 13-29, without knowing if President Barack Obama, who will be in Italy for the G8 summit, will formally request an audience with the Pope.
From Monday, July 13 to Wednesday, July 29, the Pope will spend vacation time at Les Combes di Introd, in the northwestern Italian province of Valle d’Aosta.
On July 19, the Pope will visit the town of Romano Canavese in the diocese of Ivrea, where he will preside over the Angelus prayer. On Sunday, July 26, he will visit the town of Les Combes, also praying the Angelus there.
The general audiences of Wednesday 15, 22 and 29 will be suspended.
President Obama will travel to Italy to attend the G8 summit in the Italian town of L’Aquila, July 8-10, but he will reside at the U.S. embassy in Rome. The Vatican has not yet been contacted by the White House for a possible meeting between the President and Pope Benedict XVI.
The Obama administration is proficient at keeping a disciplined and well-executed schedule, as well as precise communications channels. Is this an oversight, an afterthought, or….a calculated ordering of priorities?
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It might have something to do with the fact that the curia is not happy with any of the US picks for ambassador. If there is no ambassador, how can there be a state visit. The protocol is not in place. Had there been an approval to the Holy See, all this would be so easy. It is all right for the curia to snub Obama, but Obama should never snub the curia. It is a shame since I think B16 and Obama would really enjoy each other and would find commonality. I still feel there are some in the curia that would rather this meeting not happen. And so it won’t until the Pope gets mad and says make it so.
I hardly think that the only person in the Obama administration who could reach out to the Vatican would be the ambassador to the Vatican. If President Obama wanted to meet with the pope he would.