VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis expressed affection for the American people during a wide-ranging meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday, the Vatican said, without indicating whether the two discussed sharp divisions between American bishops, conversations with politicians who support abortion rights, such as President Joe Biden. Pontiff has given Secretary of State Anthony Blinken plenty of time, especially in the light of a government official who is not a national leader.
Matteo Bruni, a spokesman for the Vatican, said the audience at the Apostolic Palace “took place in a friendly atmosphere”. “It lasted about 40 minutes and it was an opportunity for the Pope to remember his visit in 2015 and to express his love and attention to the people of the United States of America.” Bruni was referring to Pontiff’s pilgrimage to the United States, which included a meeting with then-President Barack Obama at the White House. Since then the American church classification has become increasingly polarized with American politics and politics.
Conservative bishops in the United States have been protesting against clear directives against giving speeches to American political figures that support Catholics and American political figures that support women’s abortion rights. Vatican education prohibits abortion as a serious sin. The campaign drew attention to a Catholic named Biden, who said he was personally opposed to abortion, supporting the right to abortion. Francis has not spoken publicly about the latest controversy in the bishops’ highly polarized U.S. conference, although he did send a letter in 2015 expressing sympathy for the disgusting choice women face in the field of abortion.
Earlier at the Vatican, Blinken received VIP treatment on Monday and paid a private visit to the Sistine Chapel before sitting down to hang out with Pope Francis behind closed doors. Blinken was the first senior official in the Biden administration to reach a private audience with Pintiff. Last year, Blinken’s predecessor Mike Pompeo also visited the Vatican, leaving him no longer alone with Francis. At the time, Vatican officials said the Holy See did not want to give any idea of bias just weeks before the U.S. presidential election biden came to power.
