Pope Francis recently held a private meeting with France’s nominee for ambassador to the Vatican, the French government clarified on April 22, in the latest twist to a months-long altercation over the Holy See’s failure to confirm his posting. Paris had nominated Laurent Stefanini, the French government’s head of protocol, for the post on January 5 but it has not yet heard from the Vatican, a delay that media speculations suggest has stemmed from Stefanini’s sexual orientation.
“There was a meeting between the Pope and Stefanini,” said government spokesman Stephane Le Foll during a regular briefing, confirming a report by satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine but dismissing the newspaper's assertion that his candidacy had been finally rejected during the April 18 meeting. “Nothing has changed: France has proposed a candidate and for the time being we are waiting for the Vatican's reply after the usual discussions and review of his candidacy.”
Neither Stefanini nor the French administration has made any official declaration of him being homosexual, with the country’s Foreign Ministry going so far as to say his private life should be respected. The Vatican too refused to comment on the matter, saying all appointments are confirmed only once the names have been published in the official bulletin of the Holy See. It is very rare however for the Pope to be directly involved with the appointment of ambassadors.
Beginning in April, the French Catholic daily La Croix reported an unidentified source as saying the Vatican had perceived it a provocation that the socialist government of France proposed the name of a homosexual man for the post of ambassador to the Holy See, after legalizing same-sex marriage in 2013.
While Pope Francis has continued to propagate Church teaching against homosexuality, he does display a more sympathetic approach towards homosexuals. While meeting with members of a Catholic gay rights group as recently as in February, Francis said he could not judge homosexuals of good will, especially those that are in search of God. Yet, he has given no signs of relaxing rules against same-sex marriage or revising Church doctrine that implies homosexual acts are sinful, even if homosexuality itself is not.
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