Top Vatican diplomat Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher confirmed on Wednesday that Pope Francis would not receive US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to avoid being dragged into the US election fight
ROME (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th September, 2020) Top Vatican diplomat Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher confirmed on Wednesday that Pope Francis would not receive US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to avoid being dragged into the US election fight.
Earlier in the day, Pompeo delivered a speech at the "Advancing and Defending International Religious Freedom Through Diplomacy" symposium, organized by the US Embassy to the Holy See. The state secretary used his address to attack Beijing, claiming that "nowhere is religious freedom under assault more than it is inside of China today." He, in particular, stated that not only Muslims in Xinjiang, but also Catholics across China fall victim to the alleged repressions.
According to Gallagher, concerns that the embassy's event could amount to attempts to use the pontiff in the final stage of the election campaign in the US were among reasons why Pope Francis would not meet with Pompeo.
In addition, the archbishop lambasted the fact that the event's agenda had not been coordinated with the Vatican and he had only a couple of minutes to speak up.
The news of Pope Francis declining to meet with Pompeo in the run-up to the November election has been circulating in media for a while. The refusal came soon after the top US diplomat urged the Holy See against renewing a provisional agreement with Beijing in October and slammed the Vatican for endorsing bishops who had been unilaterally appointed by China.
