Pope Francis and Joe Biden in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 24, 2015. | Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images.
Vatican City, Oct 28, 2021 / 10:30 am (CNA).
One day before U.S. President Joe Biden is due to meet with Pope Francis, the Vatican canceled its scheduled live broadcast of the meeting without explanation.
Journalists in the Vatican press corps — who will also not be allowed to have a pool representative present for the initial handshake due to current Vatican COVID-19 protocols — have protested at the last-minute cancelation.
The Associated Press reported on Oct. 28 that it had formally complained to the Vatican about the canceled live stream, along with members of the Vatican correspondents’ association.
Steven Portnoy, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, said that the group declared its solidarity with Vatican reporters in “expressing our disappointment that the world won’t see live pictures of President Biden’s meeting with Pope Francis.”
“Reporters have been covering the papal audiences of American presidents since Woodrow Wilson sat w/Benedict [XV] in January 1919,” Portnoy, a CBS News Radio correspondent, wrote on Twitter.
“Our fully-vaccinated & masked pool of reporters is ready to continue this public service, mindful of its own safety as well as the leaders’, to ensure independent coverage of the first Catholic president in 60 yrs meeting with the head of the Catholic church,” he said.
The @whca joins Vatican reporters in expressing our disappointment that the world won’t see live pictures of President Biden’s meeting with Pope Francis. https://t.co/zEcbkOvxkO
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki also addressed the Vatican’s media restrictions at a press briefing.
“What I can assure you of is that we are working, through every lever we have, to advocate for access for the press pool and for press when the president visits the Vatican,” Psaki said.
“We believe in the value of the free press. We believe in the value of ensuring you have access to the president’s trips and his visits overseas.”
Before the pandemic, Vatican protocol allowed for a small group of journalists, including the president’s own media pool, to be present for the first handshakes and the initial exchange as they sat down before the formal and private conversation. Journalists were again present to witness the exchange of gifts.
The Vatican has indicated that it will now only provide live footage of the arrival of the U.S. president’s motorcade at the Apostolic Palace, which some journalists will also be allowed to attend.
The meeting between Biden and Pope Francis is scheduled to start at noon on Oct. 29 and last for about an hour.
Biden has previously met Pope Francis on three occasions, but this will be his first face-to-face meeting with the pope as the 46th president of the United States and the country’s second Catholic president.
According to the White House, the president plans to discuss “ending the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling the climate crisis, and caring for the poor.”
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Vatican City, Jun 26, 2018 / 05:27 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican announced Tuesday that Pope Francis has accepted the retirement of Cardinal Domenico Calcagno as head of the body managing the Vatican’s assets and real estate holdings, appointing Italian Bishop Nunzio Galantino to take his place.
Calcagno, who turned 75 in February, was appointed APSA’s secretary by Benedict XVI in 2007, and was later named its president by Pope Francis in 2011.
For a year before that appointment, the cardinal was also part of a commission tasked with the supervision of the Institute of Religious Works (IOR), known as the “Vatican Bank.” Though he was appointed for a five-year term, he was removed by Francis before that term was up.
Calcagno, who at one point was investigated for embezzlement in his previous diocese of Savona, stepped down after reaching the typical age of retirement for bishops, who are required to submit their resignations after their 75th birthday.
APSA is the office that handles the Vatican’s investment portfolio and its real estate holdings, as well as serving as the Vatican employment office and procurements agency.
The man taking Calcagno’s place is Bishop Nunzio Galantino, 69, who since December 2013 has served as secretary general of the Italian Bishops Conference, known by its Italian acronym as the “CEI.” Before that appointment, he led the small Italian diocese of Cassano all’Jonio.
Galantino is not generally seen by Italians as belonging to any specific camp in the Church. However, since stepping into his role at the CEI, he has been vocal on hot topics, such as migration and family issues, though he has at times been criticized for being too outspoken.
A view of the separation wall between Israel and the Palestinian Territories from behind a window in the Comboni Sisters’ house in East Jerusalem. / Credit: Marinella Bandini
Jerusalem, Feb 17, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).
The Comboni Sisters have been living on the border of East Jerusalem since 1967. Running along the border of their property is a wall, constructed by the Israelis in 2009, dividing the village of Bethany/al-Eizariya — renowned as the site of the resurrection of Lazarus. The sisters’ residence remains on the Israeli side, while the church and the tomb of Lazarus are on the Palestinian side, on the other side of the wall.
“For us, the passage from Scripture that says ‘in Christ the wall of separation between peoples has been broken down’ is very powerful [Eph 2:14], especially when there is a physical wall in front of us that clearly indicates this separation,” Sister Anna Maria Sgaramella, provincial councilor and coordinator of the Middle East Zone for the Comboni Sisters, told CNA.
Sister Anna Maria Sgaramella, provincial council and coordinator of the Middle East Zone for the Comboni Sisters. Credit: Marinella Bandini
Sgaramella arrived in Jerusalem for the first time on Sept. 26, 2000. The very next day, the second intifada — a major uprising by Palestinians against Israeli occupation — erupted. She witnessed the siege of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where she taught theology.
Later, she was transferred to Egypt, where in 2011, she witnessed the uprising known as the “Arab Spring.”
Since 2013, Sgaramella has permanently returned to Jerusalem and now faces another long and bloody conflict. “I have always been struck by the deep sense of hope and determination to move forward among the Palestinian people. With this war, I see it weaker; people are more exhausted,” she said.
A view of the separation wall between Israel and the Palestinian Territories from the terrace of the Comboni Sisters’ house in East Jerusalem. The wall, constructed by the Israelis in 2009, runs along the border of their property, dividing the village of Bethany/al-Eizariya in two, believed to be the site of the miracle of the raising of Lazarus. The sisters’ residence remains on the Israeli side, while the church and the tomb of Lazarus are on the other side of the wall. Credit: Marinella Bandini
There are currently six Comboni Sisters in Jerusalem and each is involved in a specific ministry. They usually come together for morning Mass and evening vespers as well as for meetings and reflection. Their community house is open to religious individuals seeking periods of study or discernment and serves as a center of spirituality for both the congregation and the local Church. The sisters host educational workshops and spiritual exercises as well as welcome pilgrims.
The Comboni Sisters in Jerusalem in a recent photo at the Jordan River. The Comboni Sisters’ community in Jerusalem currently consists of six sisters and each is involved in a specific ministry. Credit: Photo courtesy of Sister Anna Maria Sgaramella
Sgaramella shared with CNA what it’s like to live on the border.
“With the construction of the wall, we found ourselves in the middle, between Palestinians and Israelis,” she explained. “The Palestinians attempt to bypass the wall — especially to pray at the Dome of the Rock — while the Israelis try to repel them in an endless game.”
“Being in the middle is a physical position that has also become a spiritual one,” Sgaramella continued. “We had to reflect and decided to ‘stay in the middle,’ between these two peoples, to serve as a bridge between them. By placing ourselves in the middle, we listen to the injustice faced by the Palestinians and also to the fears of Israeli families.”
For this reason, the religious community has chosen to maintain a small presence in the Palestinian area. Two sisters reside in an apartment beyond the wall, about 100 feet from the Comboni Sisters’ residence.
The exterior of the Comboni Sisters’ house in East Jerusalem where the Comboni Sisters have been living since 1967. Credit: Marinella Bandini
“We desired to stay and share the lives of those people and accompany the small remaining Christian community there. Every time they need to reach the community, they have to travel 18 kilometers [about 11 miles] passing through the Israeli checkpoint,” Sgaramella explained.
The sisters do not do this simply in the spirit of altruism, explained Sgaramella, who is also involved in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. “We understood from the beginning that being in the middle comes at a cost. It often means getting hit from both sides. On one hand, there are stones and Molotov cocktails from the Palestinians that land on our property; on the other hand, we are under the smoke of tear gas launched in response by the Israelis,” she said.
One incident happened the night of Oct. 6, just hours before the Hamas attack on Israel. Some Molotov cocktails landed on the synthetic grass in the part of the property that houses the kindergarten, causing a fire — the signs of which are still visible today. The fire destroyed the grass, playground equipment, and blackened the recently painted wall.
The exterior of the kindergarten, housed on the Comboni Sisters’ property. In the background is the separation wall that was erected on the edge of the Comboni Sisters’ property in 2009.
The kindergarten is a work that the Comboni Sisters have been carrying out since their arrival and today it serves as an important point of connection with the surrounding community. This significance has grown, especially after the construction of the wall.
“The presence of the kindergarten has never been questioned, neither with the wall nor with the war,” said Sgaramella, who is the director. The kindergarten is attended by approximately 40 children, all of whom are Muslims, divided into two classes. Formally, it is under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Ministry of Education. “It is a project that meets the needs of the people; furthermore, episodes of violence never occur during the day when the children are present,” she added.
Sister Anna Maria Sgaramella of the Comboni Sisters talks with the children in one of the kindergarten classes hosted at their home in East Jerusalem. The presence of the kindergarten has never been questioned, said Sgaramella, the director. Credit: Marinella Bandini
Every morning, the children begin with a prayer. “We tell the parents right from the start,” Sgaramella explained. “It’s a prayer of thanksgiving for what God has created, for the day, for life, a blessing for parents, neighbors, friends, and also for children who suffer. We pray for peace in the world and in this country.”
Regarding the families, she shared: “There is great trust and respect. They usually choose to send their children here, especially for moral education and English-language instruction.”
Most of the children come from East Jerusalem, but some also come from al-Eizariya. One of the two teachers, Nihal Hashmime, who is also the vice director, has to pass through the checkpoint every day to get to work.
“With the war,” the sister told CNA, “we faced some educational challenges because initially, some children were absent. The work we do with them is to impart certain values, such as peace, friendship, love, and respect for differences.”
Play is also an important aspect. “Children here do not find toy weapons, and they are not allowed to bring them from home,” Sgaramella said.
“Our attempt in education and all other activities is to break down this wall that leads to seeing the other as an enemy,” Sgaramella said. “Sometimes it is difficult to recognize the universality of salvation. We know that Jesus died for everyone, but in certain conflict-ridden contexts, it is challenging to acknowledge the other as a brother. Personally, the field of teaching theology provides me with the space to build bridges among believers. Because in every religion, there are sincere believers seeking truth.”
Washington D.C., Jan 13, 2020 / 02:10 pm (CNA).- This week, the pope emeritus and Cardinal Robert Sarah will publish a new book in defense of clerical celibacy.
Reaction to the book has opened up a fault-line among Catholic commentators: some se… […]
25 Comments
If I were pope and actually intended to have a substantive conversation on morals and the sacramental life with a Catholic head of state befuddled by invincible ignorance, or worse, I would also tell the secularist media voyeurs to take a hike. At least the atheist journalist Scalfari won’t be favored, this time, to misreport what Pope Francis may or may not say.
Hoping that this media blackout is a good sign. Maybe a meeting between a president and a pope is more than a presidential tourist stop dressed up with a Vatican walk-on in a white hat
On the other hand, the optics of the titular head of the Roman Catholic Church cozying up to President Biden–a well-known abortion proponent–may not be so edifying for the faithful.
Agree! Also that the CNA owned by the serial Pope Francis basher EWTN do not misreport this time similar to what it did implying and highlighting that Pope Francis was upset with Fr. James Martin during a meeting with a group of U.S. Bishops in September 2019.
Emerson, keep in your mind and soul and words the 5th and 8th Holy Commandments, nor impute intentions or vices, not even to one’s supposed enemies, becoming an ewtn basher after accusing them is doubly wrong and has a vicious name…imitate Jesus, not the adversary….he’s clever but Jesus is Eternal Triune Wisdom….Blessings
That must be it. His appointment of Sachs to the Pontifical Academy on Social Sciences earlier this week should have clued us in on what he is up to. What a surprise Joe is in for! I can’t believe Nancy is going to let the poor guy walk right into this trap Francis has laid for him. God bless our crafty Pope!
In my mind, both of these mere mortals were fraudulently elected. One by the Gallen Mafia and the McCarrick Syndicate and the other by corrupt Progressives slivering in The Swamp.
I would argue that part of the reason the Vatican cancelled the press coverage is not to avoid Biden using the PR, but rather, so the Catholic world doesn’t see its’ Pope schmoozing and glad-handing one of the biggest proponents of abortion in America.
The White House and secular medias complaints are pretty hypocrite. Everybody understands that this very publicized meeting is part of the internal cultural battle in the US. Emerson’s comment above is a good proof. I hope Francis starts to understand that powerful and far fromn vulnerable people are trying to use him.
I agree. Perhaps the Pope wishes to address the scandal being created by the current “Catholic” administration and everyone has a right to privacy during a pastoral visit. I’m praying it’s a good thing … plus another photo-op send the message of approval which adds to the mixed message.
All the dominos were lined up in a row for the MSM to show a smiling dementia riddled
Joe arm and arm with a equally smiling Pope Francis in a photo OP.This would of course bring instant elation to the socialist/liberal flock of the Catholic Church.See even our
Pope finds common ground with “Joe” on Abortion,and a host of other Evil practices championed by “Joe” and 26% of Americans who self identify as liberal.
It’s difficult to accurately discern what the exact motivation is behind the cancellation. After the Pelosi/Francis love fest was splashed all over the place for the world to see, one would expect this incoherent and dangerous Pontificate, to paraphrase Father Rutler, to give the same treatment to her fellow heretic, dementia Joe.
The Vatican has promised video after Chairman Joe and Francis meet. It will undoubtedly edit out the pope slapping Joey and asking him, “What are you thinking?”
Pious hopes and fervent prayers that Bergoglio is going to convert Biden from his decades of pro-abortion extremism are well and good, but I think it far preferable to take Divine Wisdom’s instruction that men are known by their actions as my guide in determining whether Bergoglio and Biden are anything other than bloviating hypocrites.
The Catholic World Report could only report about the Pope-President meeting from this angle? Nothing more positive, substantial, and in-depth? Has CWR shamelessly shown itself to be more of a propaganda organ of a political action committee than a Catholic publication “with and under the Pope”? Is it just catering to a small sector of the Catholic Church in America? CWR should join the Facebook bandwagon and change its name into the Catholic Village Report!
This article is written by Catholic News Agency. CWR merely passes along CNA’s their newsworthy items, as a service to its readers.
The comment section is your source for immediate in-depth substance. Next week, after the news has meshed and settled and bubbled anew with the help of the Holy Spirit, essays with meat, vegetables, and dessert will arrive. Stay tuned.
Of course you yourself could always submit a comment which is positive, substantive, and in-depth rather a smear. Think about it if your mind is big enough.
The Pope is experienced enough to know that Democrats in the US (including “journalists”) will exploit any opportunity to generate publicity for Biden and the Catholic vote. Obviously, the Pope knows all about “fake news.”
By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. Wherefore, by their fruits you shall know them (Mt 7: 16-20).
Myself all for transparency — authentic transparency — I can only breathe a sigh of relief that we are spared the theater of the “pious Biden” before the South American Jesuit.
Now I do hope that the actual reason access has been denied is that the Holy Father was fulfilling his responsibility to Almighty God, humanity and to the Church in this private meeting to bring to correction pious Biden on life issues, sexual morality and a host of other realities. Of course the web of disingenuousness binding in inextricable intimacy Church and globalist power has likely precluded realization of that hope.
Trust in Jesus Christ alone. Men will inevitably fail us.
Biden came out of meeting with pope and said “ the pope told me I was a good Catholic” I hope not but the pope looked on pelosi and Biden with awe. We need to start protesting this pope
“No, it didn’t. It came up,” Biden told reporters when asked if “the issue of abortion [came] up at all” during his meeting with the pope. “We just talked about the fact he was happy that I was a good Catholic, and I should keep receiving communion.”
If I were pope and actually intended to have a substantive conversation on morals and the sacramental life with a Catholic head of state befuddled by invincible ignorance, or worse, I would also tell the secularist media voyeurs to take a hike. At least the atheist journalist Scalfari won’t be favored, this time, to misreport what Pope Francis may or may not say.
Hoping that this media blackout is a good sign. Maybe a meeting between a president and a pope is more than a presidential tourist stop dressed up with a Vatican walk-on in a white hat
On the other hand, the optics of the titular head of the Roman Catholic Church cozying up to President Biden–a well-known abortion proponent–may not be so edifying for the faithful.
Agree! Also that the CNA owned by the serial Pope Francis basher EWTN do not misreport this time similar to what it did implying and highlighting that Pope Francis was upset with Fr. James Martin during a meeting with a group of U.S. Bishops in September 2019.
Emerson, keep in your mind and soul and words the 5th and 8th Holy Commandments, nor impute intentions or vices, not even to one’s supposed enemies, becoming an ewtn basher after accusing them is doubly wrong and has a vicious name…imitate Jesus, not the adversary….he’s clever but Jesus is Eternal Triune Wisdom….Blessings
Pater, before you make your pious protestations, be sure you know what you’re talking about. Here, read this…
https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/archbishop-wester-responds-recounting-popes-words-about-jesuit-fr-james-martin
Let’s pray that the reason for this is that the Pope is going to give the president a talking-to and wants to keep it private.
That must be it. His appointment of Sachs to the Pontifical Academy on Social Sciences earlier this week should have clued us in on what he is up to. What a surprise Joe is in for! I can’t believe Nancy is going to let the poor guy walk right into this trap Francis has laid for him. God bless our crafty Pope!
Yes, it might be a little awkward having a conversation that begins, “Bless me, Father . . .” broadcast to the world. . . .
Biden needs an exorcism, not an ordinary confession.
In my mind, both of these mere mortals were fraudulently elected. One by the Gallen Mafia and the McCarrick Syndicate and the other by corrupt Progressives slivering in The Swamp.
I would argue that part of the reason the Vatican cancelled the press coverage is not to avoid Biden using the PR, but rather, so the Catholic world doesn’t see its’ Pope schmoozing and glad-handing one of the biggest proponents of abortion in America.
The White House and secular medias complaints are pretty hypocrite. Everybody understands that this very publicized meeting is part of the internal cultural battle in the US. Emerson’s comment above is a good proof. I hope Francis starts to understand that powerful and far fromn vulnerable people are trying to use him.
I agree. Perhaps the Pope wishes to address the scandal being created by the current “Catholic” administration and everyone has a right to privacy during a pastoral visit. I’m praying it’s a good thing … plus another photo-op send the message of approval which adds to the mixed message.
All the dominos were lined up in a row for the MSM to show a smiling dementia riddled
Joe arm and arm with a equally smiling Pope Francis in a photo OP.This would of course bring instant elation to the socialist/liberal flock of the Catholic Church.See even our
Pope finds common ground with “Joe” on Abortion,and a host of other Evil practices championed by “Joe” and 26% of Americans who self identify as liberal.
It’s difficult to accurately discern what the exact motivation is behind the cancellation. After the Pelosi/Francis love fest was splashed all over the place for the world to see, one would expect this incoherent and dangerous Pontificate, to paraphrase Father Rutler, to give the same treatment to her fellow heretic, dementia Joe.
The Vatican has promised video after Chairman Joe and Francis meet. It will undoubtedly edit out the pope slapping Joey and asking him, “What are you thinking?”
Pious hopes and fervent prayers that Bergoglio is going to convert Biden from his decades of pro-abortion extremism are well and good, but I think it far preferable to take Divine Wisdom’s instruction that men are known by their actions as my guide in determining whether Bergoglio and Biden are anything other than bloviating hypocrites.
The Catholic World Report could only report about the Pope-President meeting from this angle? Nothing more positive, substantial, and in-depth? Has CWR shamelessly shown itself to be more of a propaganda organ of a political action committee than a Catholic publication “with and under the Pope”? Is it just catering to a small sector of the Catholic Church in America? CWR should join the Facebook bandwagon and change its name into the Catholic Village Report!
” Nothing more positive, substantial, and in-depth? ”
Ever hear the adage “you can’t get blood from a stone”?
This article is written by Catholic News Agency. CWR merely passes along CNA’s their newsworthy items, as a service to its readers.
The comment section is your source for immediate in-depth substance. Next week, after the news has meshed and settled and bubbled anew with the help of the Holy Spirit, essays with meat, vegetables, and dessert will arrive. Stay tuned.
Of course you yourself could always submit a comment which is positive, substantive, and in-depth rather a smear. Think about it if your mind is big enough.
The Pope is experienced enough to know that Democrats in the US (including “journalists”) will exploit any opportunity to generate publicity for Biden and the Catholic vote. Obviously, the Pope knows all about “fake news.”
By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. Wherefore, by their fruits you shall know them (Mt 7: 16-20).
Myself all for transparency — authentic transparency — I can only breathe a sigh of relief that we are spared the theater of the “pious Biden” before the South American Jesuit.
Now I do hope that the actual reason access has been denied is that the Holy Father was fulfilling his responsibility to Almighty God, humanity and to the Church in this private meeting to bring to correction pious Biden on life issues, sexual morality and a host of other realities. Of course the web of disingenuousness binding in inextricable intimacy Church and globalist power has likely precluded realization of that hope.
Trust in Jesus Christ alone. Men will inevitably fail us.
Biden came out of meeting with pope and said “ the pope told me I was a good Catholic” I hope not but the pope looked on pelosi and Biden with awe. We need to start protesting this pope
“No, it didn’t. It came up,” Biden told reporters when asked if “the issue of abortion [came] up at all” during his meeting with the pope. “We just talked about the fact he was happy that I was a good Catholic, and I should keep receiving communion.”
– Reported by Washington Examiner, 10/29/21